The Wonder of Mary

A number of years ago I put together a dramatic monologue detailing the life of Mary from the time of her bethrotal to Joseph to her death. At the time I used Francine River's "Unafraid" and more of my own poetic license to recount the life of an extraordinary woman. I first wrote the piece for a women's Christmas Tea, and then a few years later used the same piece for a Mother's Day presentation, wherein it was titled "An Ordinary Woman, An Extraordinary God." The dramatic narrative was used to coincide with a message detailing 'karious' moments in our life, and exemplified Mary as one who draw from the karious moments of her life.

If you will think of a slinky, keep this image of a slinky in your mind as I continue. In life God is constantly teaching and molding us. We experience circles/cycles of lessons. Oftentimes we repeat the same lesson over and over again, not moving beyond that one circle, and not moving to the next - as a slinky does when in action. A karious moment is when we are faced with the decision to accept the lesson, and to learn from it - whether it is repentence, acceptance, surrender - a course of action is demanded, and in embracing that choice, we move down the spiral of circles.

I recently performed "Mary" and as is the case each time I do so, I am reminded of her life and what she represented. I look at her and the choices that were laid before her. Choices that she made to honor God, and honor him she must have, long before the Angel Gabriel told her she would bear the Messiah, the Son of the Most High God. How could she not have honored God in her deeds and words, for God surely saw her heart and chose her knowing who she was and who she would become. Then when Gabriel did appear before her and exhort her to not be afraid, she had a choice - a choice to embrace the fear and reject the words that were spoken to her, but she didn't, she chose to be obedient to God and the call he had essentially placed on her life. While the Bible doesn't detail the life of Mary, speculation on her life and who she was is easy to make. I see a woman who embraced the road before her. Even with knowledge of the Scriptures, she like many of the other Jews, probably failed to see what the Messiah really had come to do. I doubt that when she wrapped her baby in cloths, and held him close to her, that she knew that in 30, 40 years she would bear witness to his crucifixation. Yet in it, she chose to follow God. She had a desire to move forward, and to grow, and to allow God his hand of love and truth in her life.

The song below also captures the essence of what Mary might have been thinking that long ago night as she travelled to Bethlehem, heavy with child, a young maiden not yet 'married' and with the words of the song, and the power of who Mary was comes the realization that while God may not be calling any of us to bear the Messiah (for he has already come), he is asking us to allow his Son - Christ Jesus - to dwell within us, to allow Christ to change who we are, and really like Mary of whom the 'world' saw a change, to be a living example of Christ to others.