Mary’s song of rejoicing announces what some have called an “upside down world.” God will scatter the proud and look with favor on the lowly. God will bring down powerful rulers and, again, lift up the lowly. God will make sure the hungry are fed while the rich will be sent away empty. God’s promises will turn the world’s ways of orchestrating things upside down.
So where does that leave us, since many of us (compared to Mary) are rich, well-fed and well-educated?
Well, knowing in advance how Christ’s coming will turn the world upside down, we can get a head start on the action. We can refuse to accept the status quo. We shift priorities. So we build a well for a community in Haiti that previously had no clean water. We staff a homeless shelter for a week. We fill a food pantry with good things. We are legs and wheels for those who can’t walk. We send an ark of livestock around the world so that newly trained families can raise eggs and milk and wool. We build a school for girls in Afghanistan. We sew quilts handed out in disasters. We invite people who are sad to come and hear good news about a savior Jesus. Yes, we practice now for that upside down world that Christ will bring…and sing with Mary while we are doing it.
Elaine Dent says
Magnificat 1, 2 and 3 are short reflections, each given before the congregation sings a different hymnal setting of the Magnificat, a good way to celebrate the 4th Sunday in Advent without breaking into Christmas yet.