No Silent Night: Jesus’ Mother Wants You to Speak Up for Justice

Silence about injustice is our enemy now. We cannot remain silent when Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have more money than one-third of Americans and are, as thousands of faith leaders have said a cabinet of bigotry. Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew this kind of gross economic disparity and bigotry was wrong. She called out the rich and the mighty for God’s condemnation and even punishment, and she condemned the arrogant in no uncertain terms. When Mary knew she was pregnant, she greeted the impending birth with one of the most formidable hymns of liberation of the oppressed in the entire Christian scriptures as found in Luke 1:45-55. Called “The Magnificat,” this song praises God for God’s liberating actions, not only on behalf of the singer, but on behalf of all the oppressed of the world. God is on the side of the poor, the exploited, and, importantly for this text, women who are sexually demeaned and despised. Mary goes so far as to call herself a “slave,” and yet she says she will be exalted by God. The Lukan version (unlike Matthew) mutes but does not dismiss what must have been a tradition of the illegitimacy of Jesus as Mary is “engaged to a man whose name was Joseph” and she becomes pregnant. It seems in this way that whatever was said of Jesus’ illegitimacy at the time this gospel was composed would be seen as part of God’s plan. But the fact remains that an unmarried, pregnant young woman is the one who sings this wonderful song of liberation and she sings it to Elizabeth, a formerly “barren” woman who is now pregnant and will become the mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth, a woman who has been demeaned for failing to conceive, and who is now old (another way women are despised), receives the song of liberation. The unmarried pregnant woman sings it. Let’s think about that carefully in regard to the sexual demeaning and shaming that has been part of the Trump candidacy, and seems likely to continue into his administration. But according to Mary’s song as placed in Luke, women’s sexuality is not a source of shame, but can be part of God’s plan for the liberation of the oppressed. Thus, isn’t the oppressive sexual shaming of women itself judged and dismissed as contrary to God’s justice? Yes. Thus, Trump’s sexual demeaning and shaming of women must be named as contrary to God’s plan for human equality and liberation. Sexual and economic liberation are central in Mary’s hymn. This could not be clearer. For those who would sexually shame a young woman who was humbled by being pregnant and unmarried, God has instead caused her to be called “blessed.” And the unmarried, young pregnant woman goes on to sing that the humble are to be exalted, and the rich and mighty will be “brought down” from their thrones.” The hungry, she contends, are “filled with good things,” and the rich? Well, they are “sent away […]

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