EDITORIAL
Discern the Times | Amy Orr-Ewing
In the run-up to Christmas, there is a peculiar amount of work to be done that feels like physical and emotional labor, and often falls to women.
Centering a woman’s perspective at Christmas is about far more than empathizing with the dizzying feats of planning that go into pulling off seasonal festivities. Paying heed to a woman’s viewpoint is necessary if we are going to truly celebrate Christmas, because the central character of the Christmas story, other than the baby Jesus, is a woman called Mary.
At Christmastime we remember that an ordinary, young, poor woman from an occupied land was chosen to play a significant and breakthrough role in the redemption of the world. Evil would be crushed and defeated through her seed. Her body was to play a part in showing the world that Jesus really is Emmanuel—God with us. Her theological insights and reactions are recorded for us in the New Testament.
By positioning Mary in this way, the New Testament is unlike any document of the era. We can see what kind of person is invited to be a gospel witness, a teacher of profound theology and an example of simple, humble faith. It is no mistake that a woman gets to be a part of all this, and that her voice, her questions, her fears, her actions and her obedience matter.
Mary’s Voice
We first encounter Mary as a young unmarried teenager, but for many of us she remains fixed in our imaginations as a remote otherworldly figure, with the faint glimmer of a smile, talking to an angel or holding a baby. Held up by some as the unattainable ideal of purity or the example of perfect motherhood, Mary is a distant figure for us in our busy lives in this technological age.
In our reading and telling of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary’s point of view is seldom considered. In the many reenactments of the Nativity story around Christmastime Mary is usually a mute figure, saying nothing as the story unfolds of the journey to Bethlehem, the search for accommodation and the birth of the child surrounded by animals.
We may be familiar with the star of Bethlehem, the manger as a cradle, the shepherds, the angels and the visit of the Magi. Portrayals of the Nativity abound, but in the middle of it all Mary is a passive and silent figure. I once played the role of Mary in a school play and for the entire show I did not utter a word.
Yet Mary is described in Luke’s gospel as a woman who exercised choice, questioned things, reflected, responded, spoke up and demonstrated great faith. Mary had a voice.
A Voice for the Voiceless
I can remember exactly where I was when I was first truly struck by Mary’s voice. I had slipped into a pew in one of Britain’s most beautiful Cathedrals on a Wednesday at dusk for evensong. I was chilled to the bone in the moment of the service when the choir sang the words of Mary’s Magnificat recorded for us in Luke’s gospel: “He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree” (1:52).
I had spent that day sitting in the public gallery of a court supporting someone who was giving evidence in a criminal trial concerning childhood abuse. Mary’s words expressing hope on behalf of the poor, the humble and the powerless felt especially meaningful that evening in the aftermath of the horrors of trauma recounted.
As we enter the holiday season and once again take the opportunity to contemplate the coming of Christ, may I encourage you to listen to the spoken words of Mary recorded in the Bible. This teenage woman is filled with the Holy Spirit and the words of the Magnificat pour out of her, pointing us to the Messiah—Jesus her son—and declaring what he has come to do.