He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. – Luke 1:52 (Mary’s Song)
Not completely.
James Tissot, Magnificat
Mary is pregnant, and she sings about it. Mary has been approached by an angel with the news that, while still a virgin, she will give birth to the Most High. Mary sees this as a world shaking event that has huge consequences: a world turned upside-down: the roles of power and wealth are reversed. This is pretty bold speech: a peasant girl from a small town speaking truth about the Roman Empire. Mary was already at risk of being condemned by her faith community for being pregnant outside of marriage: now she speaks words that could get someone arrested.
Preachers go too far when they claim that the Bible or the Gospel endorses one partisan point of view. I doubt that Mary’s song is a manifesto on how nations and economies should be built. Mary’s vision of a world turned upside down was not literally fulfilled in her lifetime. So how do we find relevance in her song?
Embrace a Gospel that challenges modern assumptions about what and who matters. For Mary, wealth and power are transitory. It’s people that matter, particularly those who are poor and on the margins of society. People like Mary.
Where do we get our beliefs?
Three theological perspectives have significantly shaped my Christian identity: Evangelicalism, the early Methodist tradition and liberation theology.
From my coming to faith in a Baptist church and throughout my education in a Baptist school and college, I was nurtured by convictions that emphasized a spiritual rebirth, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the centrality of the Bible. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of evangelicalism, it has deeply influenced my sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
My seminary studies spawned my interest in early Methodism, particularly its approach to spiritual formation. Its leaders were convinced that only a foundation of doctrine and discipline would lead to a meaningful transformation of the heart and mind. In other words, having the mind of Christ enables me to be more like Christ.
Life in a suburban culture obscures the increasing gap between the poor and rich, as well as the Bible’s close identification with the poor. My doctoral work in socio-cultural context exposed me to liberation theology, which helps me see redemptive history as a history of oppressed groups, written from the perspective of the powerless, about a God who is actively involved with the poor in their struggles.
I am now the pastor at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in St Mary’s County, Maryland. Together my wife and I have 4 children.
The Other Six Days 