We Are All A Bunch of Mothers

Theotokos, Θεοτόκος, "God- Bearer"

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John 19:25-27

​Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

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Mothers. We might not have one in our life, but we all come from one. As I’ve said before, the one thing that unites us with all of creation is a mother.   
 
I have a mom. She lives in Maryland with my Dad. She’s been a true rock in my life; the kind of mom who loved me through unlovable situations, and has supported me even if she didn’t understand me. If you’ve ever met my mom, you’d know she’s the kind of woman who speaks her mind.

​Kathleen’s mom is similar in that she too has no problem telling you what she’s thinking. In fact, I haven’t said a word to my mother-in-law in almost a year because I feel it would be rude to interrupt her.
 
The best part about my mother in law, of course is Kathleen, the mother of my three lovely children. I’m sure there’s a joke there, but I like my life the way it is, so I will resist. Now if you know my wife, then you’d know that all mothers are not created equal. Which can make Mother’s Day complicated and difficult preach on.

For every woman who’ll be praised for her mothering, there will be another who is barren, longing for a life that is not growing within her womb. No Happy Mother’s day for her.
 
Then there’s the person who quietly hides the fact that his mother was not much of a mother at all. Yes, she gave him life, but beyond that, his mind is filled with memories of years dominated by pain and abuse. No Happy Mother’s Day here.
 
There’s the person whose mother has died – maybe a month ago or maybe years ago. The emptiness is the same. There’s no calling her to get that special family recipe. No ability to hear that reassuring voice in times of despair and confusion. Happy Mother’s Day – not so much.
 
There’s the mother who is, separated from her baby for whatever reason: an abortion, or a nasty divorce, or the child and mother may have arrived at what seems like an impossible impasse, estranged and not speaking to each other. One may have disowned the other, creating an abyss wider than what seems possible to cross.
 
There’s the mother who has had to bury her child – a heart-ache beyond belief. Inside her is a sorrow that can never quite go away. What is a part of her will always be a part of her, but she never again, on this side of life, will hold her son or daughter in her arms.  Happy Mother’s Day – not so happy.
 
Mother’s Day is fraught with a gamut of emotions. Some joyful. Some painful. Some filled with ambivalence and confusion. No matter how you see it, we are here today because of a sacrifice made to bring us into the world. Each one who bears this sacrifice is a hero if only because of this gift given called life.

Sarah and Isaac

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We are all called to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.” 

~ Meister Eckhart  

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Jochebed, Miriam and Moses

When Sean was a little boy, he wanted to know who God’s mother was. I told him, “You are.” And as if that answer wasn’t a bit too esoteric for his 4-year old brain to comprehend, I made sure to baffle him further by quoting a 13th Century mystic, Meister Eckhart, who said, “We are all called to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.”
 
God needs mothers of all kinds. Young ones, old ones, tall ones, short ones, rich ones, poor ones, loud ones and shy ones, hoarders and neat freaks, free-spirited and conservative, strong or insecure, good or bad alike, God needs mothers. That is to say, God needs you and me.
 
I am not suggesting that to qualify for this role, all women must be pregnant or that men need to become more like Kaitlin Jenner and less like Bruce. But I do believe God is calling us to give birth to a new kind of motherhood – one where our kinship isn’t based on matching DNA or something you might find on “23 and Me.”  
 
John’s gospel shed’s light on this idea. As his last act before dying, notice how Jesus remembered his mother. With his final breath looming, Jesus looked at his mom and said to her, “Woman here is your son.” And to the disciple whom he loved he said, “Here is your mother.”  In this place of death, a new life was created. “And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” Widows and orphans became one. A new body was birthed.
 
Just as God becomes flesh and bones in Jesus and lived among us, we too are we called to live incarnational, to put on the flesh of God’s love. Bearing the blessing of Christ to form a new community – one that supports and cares, and welcomes all people in need of a family to call their own.
 
This incarnational community is the medium in which the Gospel comes alive. It’s an engine for peace, and fuel for justice. It is the healing balm for reconciliation and the kiss upon the wounds of the world.  
God needs mothers like you and me. So he sent Jesus to glean from an extraordinary pool of human talent, diverse opinions, and every imaginable experience there is so the Good News of God’s love and grace can fill the hearts and hands of every person.  
 
Jesus never said he wanted us to worship him, but to be astounding in the world like he was; changing and transforming our communities towards God’s will. Before his assassination, Martin Luther King reminded us that a church community is not a place we go to, but a place from which we go. 
 
From that cross, Jesus invites all his disciples to adopt one another and be a community that reflects God’s sustaining love, power and presence in the world. We – the very Body of Christ – are called to take on a flesh and spirit…and to become mothers and caretakers, nurturing love and kindness in a hurting world. 
 
The Greeks have a word, Theotokos, which means “God-Bearers.” It’s a title that’s often reserved for the Blessed Mother Mary. But if we dare to call ourselves Christians, then we must also be brave enough to bear God’s incarnate love.
 
As part of the living body of Christ, each one of us is called to be a mother who carries in our body the very life of God. We must allow it to form and take shape within us, and be willing to carry God’s love safely into being. 
 
From conception, to birth and life, all the way through death and resurrection, Jesus shows us the way, empowering us with great responsibility to make the Kingdom of God come alive.
 
Through him, the love of God becomes incarnate in us so the fullness of God’s glory, the mother of all love, can be revealed throughout all of creation and long into eternity.
 
My only question for you is this: Will you carry this love to full term?
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