Luke 1:46b-55
Today’s psalm
is the text from Luke we call Mary’s Song, the Magnificat. In Latin, the song
begins magnificat anima mea dominus -- in other words, my soul magnifies the
Lord. Mary sings this song as she meets with her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant
with the child who will be known as John the Baptist. Mary and Elizabeth share the
joy and burden of bearing children chosen by God for God’s special purposes.
Mary
praises God for bringing the world a new order of right-ness. In this new world
order, there is plenty for everyone, and no one has too much. Everyone has
enough to eat, enough of whatever they need to thrive in their community. More
importantly, no one has too much; especially no one has too much power over
anyone else. Justice is administered fairly to all. Those who have too much
power will be toppled from their positions.
What do
you think of when you read and hear this passage? If you are a poor person, an
abused or oppressed person, you cheer loudly and shout, “Bring it on! It’s
about time for some good news.” If you are among the wealthy and powerful, you
feel threatened and become defensive. You state very firmly, “No way!” and “Over
my dead body!”
Most of
us are somewhere in the middle. We have enough to be comfortable, don’t often
feel oppressed, and know we can make choices for ourselves. So, we feel a bit
like outsiders when we hear this text. It doesn’t seem to apply to those of us
in the middle. But, maybe it does apply to us, after all. Perhaps the goal of
this song is to urge us into action, to make sure there are no inequities
anywhere.
In the
1960’s, the Civil Rights movement was a powerful expression of the need to end
oppression for African American people. Especially in the south, but not just
in the south, Black people had very little power. Separate drinking fountains,
the least desirable places on the bus, little access to good education and
libraries, limited access to decent jobs and livable wages, lynchings and
obviously unjust trials. Amazingly, African Americans still sang praises to
God, while at the same time begging for relief from such oppression.
Whether
you agree or disagree with the Occupy Movement in the US today, it reminds me
of the Civil Rights Movement. Today’s mostly non-violent demonstrations call
for justice in the banking and financial arena, and reform in the ways elected politicians
run the country. The sometimes violent response to the Occupy Movement also
reminds me of the response to non-violent Civil Rights demonstrations. Those in
power are working hard to retain their power over those who have a lot less
power.
Mary’s
Song encourages us to take action to ensure that all people have access to
justice in all aspects of life. We all experience injustices – whether they are
perceived or actual – just about every day. Someone zips into the last parking
space at Winn Dixie from the wrong direction; someone complains that they have
been waiting longer than we have to see the doctor; our neighbors have walked away
from paying the mortgage on their house on our street so they could get a new
one at a bargain price; our new boss is more of a jerk than the last one; the
amount in our pension account continues to drop as the stock market struggles
to recover.
We also
have at least as many opportunities to offer justice to others. We can let a
mom with small children go ahead of us in the grocery check-out line; we can open
the door for someone else; we can say, “God bless you,” instead of the words we
want to speak to certain drivers on the highway; we can purchase items for the
needy families we have sponsored for Christmas; we can write letters to our
congresspersons asking for justice and reform; we can notice when something isn’t
fair, and seek to do something about it.
I want to
read this text from Luke again, and as you hear it, I invite you to open your
heart to let God speak to you. When does your soul proclaim God’s greatness? How
could the hungry be filled with good things? Who needs to hear this promise of
mercy?
Luke 1:46b-55 (From Words for Worship,
copyright 2011 Augsburg Fortress. )
46bMy soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
47my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior,
48for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly
servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
49you, the
Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
50You have mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.
51You have shown
strength with your arm;
and scattered the proud in their
conceit,
52casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
53You have
filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
to remember the promise of mercy,
55the promise
made to our forebears,
to
Abraham and his children forever.
Amen
