The comparison of two women, Hannah and Mary, who are separated by centuries and operating under different socio-political conditions reveals the similarity in their understanding of God and His work in their worlds.
Embodiment of Social Inversion
One of them, namely Mary is the mother of the Christ who saw her son as the embodiment of social inversion: “He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts, he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate, he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away”.
Finding Hope in Chaos
Christmas, in Mary’s mind, was turbulence and upheaval triggered by societal shifts and not artificial order imposed from above. Today, Christmas is a celebration of the status quo rather than an instrument of social inversion. It has degenerated into a parochial and religious festival rather than an ongoing historical process.
The original Jesus’ story however is rooted in the likes of Mary (and earlier in the likes of Hannah) who model the way we can live with uncertainty but have our hearts brimming with hope. Hence, we are able to find hope in the midst of chaos deliberately reverse-engineered by God.
Photo by Arisa Chattasa on Unsplash
