Protestants and Mary

I'm old enough to remember the incredible impact that the Second Vatican Council had in the early- to mid-1960's.  Vatican II radically shifted many things for our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers, not the least of which was that worship services were held in the language of the people of each congregation around the world, not just in Latin.

Vatican II also changed things for us Protestants as well.  The liturgical reforms within the Roman Church spilled over and onto us.  While priests were learning the importance of preaching in worship, we were learning the importance of the Sacraments.  Before Vatican II, most Presbyterian congregations celebrated Communion four times a year, whether we needed it or not!  Now, most all of us celebrate Communion at least monthly, sometimes more often.

With a new openness in dialogue that began with Vatican II, we started to be open to considering many things in new ways... ways which we might have previously only dared to whisper disdainfully that something was "Catholic."

However, one obvious difference remains between us, I believe... and that is the role of Mary.  I feel that, whereas some of our Roman sisters and brothers go overboard in their devotion to Mary, we Protestants threw her out with so many other things in the "bathwater" of the Reformation.  I believe we've done that to our detriment.  To be sure, we drag Mary out of the closet during Advent.  After all, it's hard to talk about the birth of Jesus without talking about His mother!  But as soon as Christmas Eve is over, Mary goes back in the box with the crèche, the animals, the shepherds, and the Wise Men.

I believe that our Orthodox Christian sisters and brothers have a wonderful example for us that can be helpful and instructive.  Rather than refer to St. Mary with the titles most used by our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers - titles such as the Mother of Jesus, or the Mother of God, or the Blessed Virgin Mary – Orthodox Christians most often refer to Mary using the Greek word, Theotokos. Theotokos literally means "God-bearer," or the one who brings God to the world.  That, it seems to me, is something that we could use to acknowledge a proper and a biblical view of Mary. I find that term helpful.  More than that, though, I find that term instructive. As we Christians are to learn from one another, we can properly learn something about how we can follow in God's ways by learning how Mary served God fully, bravely, and humbly.  She bore Christ to the world... gave of herself, and brought Christ to the world.

We, too, are invited, and I believed called, by God to bring Christ to the world:  to a world in need of light... to a world in need of love... to a world in need of hope... to a world in need of justice... to a world in need of peace.  And we can learn a bit about how to do that by paying some attention to Mary.

Blessings and peace,

Steve