In her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) Mary praises God’s greatness in terms that radically reverse human society. That’s good news if we are hungry or need to be lifted up. But what if we aren’t the lowly ones? What then? Most of us do not consider ourselves to be rich and powerful, but if we are globally sensitive, we see that most North Americans are both. We have the “luxury” of using 80 percent of the world’s resources. From this perspective, Mary’s Magnificat can suddenly be distressing. Will we be the rich ones sent away empty? It’s essential that we keep acting to help those who are poor. These intentions will bring us closer to God and help us become more able to discern who is lowly and who is powerful and what we are to do about it.
This message is adapted from “The Spirit Gives Voice” written by Lily R. Wu in the June 1998 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.