Those Who Dream… Sow Joy and Justice
Isaiah 61:1-4, NRSV
Luke 1:46-55, NRSV
Reflections
If this great reversal (of Mary’s Magnificat) is not my longing, if I hesitate or downright refuse to construe Christ’s coming in terms of systemic change and resistance to oppressive forces, Mary’s Magnificat presses me to ask if I am among the satiated and satisfied, “the rich” who are “sent away empty” from this Advent season because I am unable to hope for, and thus unable to receive, divine promise.
— Jennifer McBride, Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel
- And when we listen to Mary’s son, we get a sense that her rebel anthem moonlighted as Jesus’ lullaby. Mary’s Rebel Anthem
- With the Magnificat, Mary not only announces a birth, she announces the inauguration of a new kingdom, one that stands in stark contrast to every other kingdom—past, present, and future—that relies on violence and exploitation to achieve “greatness.” With the Magnificat, Mary declares that God has indeed chosen sides. And it’s not with the powerful, but the humble. It’s not with the rich, but with the poor. It’s not with the occupying force, but with people on the margins. It’s not with narcissistic kings, but with an un-wed, un-believed teenage girl entrusted with the holy task of birthing, nursing, and nurturing God. Mary, the Magnificat, and an Unsentimental Advent
- “About 90 percent of the Old Testament is missing [and] 50 percent of the New Testament is missing” Slave Bible From The 1800s Omitted Key Passages That Could Incite Rebellion
