Radical love

Campbell Dye December 14, 2021 0 0

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Luke 1: 51-52 (NRSVA)

51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;

So far this week, we have been looking at Mary’s song of praise to God – the Magnificat. We’ve seen how she starts by honouring God in His true place before celebrating the intimacy with which God shows his mercy and love for humankind.

But, if we think that Mary’s song is going to continue in a similar vein – comforting, reassuring, maybe even a little whimsical – today's verses give us (literally) an Almighty shock.

Mary turns from the continuity of Jewish tradition — God as creator, sustainer and saviour – to the discontinuity of God’s radical agenda. Mary recognises that the God she knows – and the Son of God about to spring from her womb – is not static or bound by the traditions we weave around Him.   Mary’s God – the God we meet in the Bible – is radical, revolutionary and ever ready to turn worldly convention on its head.

God’s boundless power is praised in the way he “scatters” the proud and she speaks of how He brings down the rulers from their thrones and lifts up the humble.

We may be tempted to see this as some sort of forerunner of communism or republicanism. Let’s be careful – it’s much more revolutionary than that! God’s agenda is not a political agenda. It’s an agenda of salvation, where people’s hearts, minds and lives are reoriented to a true relationship with Him. The fruit of that relationship is a commitment to justice and peace.

I’ve been fortunate to meet many politicians over the years – of all different hues. Mostly, they are dedicated to improving the world. But I am deeply cynical of politics. When something of the world purports to offer all the answers to all the difficult questions, something is likely to be awry somewhere. Mary reflects God’s passion for humanity and justice. God’s agenda is shaped by his love and hunger for the world to turn back to Him, not by focus groups, opinion polls or the need to get re-elected.

PRAYER:

Father God, help me to understand the world in which you’ve placed me. Help me to know how I can best play my part in bringing your Kingdom in. AMEN