Tuesday 30 July 2013

Background

This song of great praise and joy came from the depths of theheart of Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus and nurturing theSaviour of the world within herself. She had received, through theaction of the Holy Spirit, the saving life of God within her, amost sacred commission, which was to bring salvation to the wholeworld. The song is called 'the Magnificat'. Mary's song describesthe reversal on earth from a human ordering of the world to oneordered according to God's ways and thoughts. The song offers apicture of healing of broken and disordered ways in the world.

There is immense courage in the words of the song. This humbleyoung girl was bearing an illegitimate child and was in a veryvulnerable place in her society. Yet Mary's song shows a greatfaith in the blessing to all generations that God was working inand through her. The song was sung as if God has already done allthese things. God had already shown the strength of his arm, hadalready scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts (verse51), and had already filled the hungry with good things (verse53).

The song is an invitation to live now according to the values ofGod's age to come. In this way God's dwelling place (kingdom) isalready breaking through for those with faith, eyes to see, andears to hear. Salvation is about choosing life and love, not deathand the facade of love. The invitation to salvation is to all ofAbraham's descendants which included Gentiles (non Jews), that isto all of us. God's invitation to live now according to the valuesof heaven is for everyone. It is therefore through us (like Mary)that God works for this to happen. Each time we pray the Lord'sPrayer, we pray: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth asin heaven".

To Ponder

• What is your special life-giving gift to the world?

• Remember particular times when you felt aware that God wasasking you to receive and nurture this gift. How did yourespond?

• Write your own song of salvation, showing how God is blessingyou to be a blessing to others.