Meek and mild?

I listen to a lot of Christmas music in December. It's pretty constant in fact. Often it's just the accompaniment to whatever I'm doing and I don't pay much attention. But I was doing a lot of ironing last week which is hardly intellectually taxing, so I was paying a bit more attention to lyrics. Not a huge amount, because I can't tell you the songs, but enough for something to catch my attention. 

There were at least a couple of different songs where it was mentioned about how meek and mild Mary was. Enough that it started to irritate me because it's not actually something that seems to fit with what I see in the Gospels. In fact what little we do read about Mary, it seems as if she was anything but meek and mild. I did a quick check to make sure I wasn't missing something, in fact. And yes, quick is the right word, because there isn't a lot about her at all.

There's really nothing about Mary in either Matthew (definitely a Joseph-centric telling of the story) nor Mark (who doesn't tackle the birth story at all.) Much of what we're told about Mary and Jesus' birth is in Matthew. I actually think Mary comes across as faithful, but also a bit of a rebel; definitely not a meek and mild dishrag. First, she questions Gabriel upon hearing his message. Angels, when they appear in the Bible typically cause the people to whom they appear to be extremely fearful, yet Mary can manage to question him as to his this is going to be possible. 

We all know she says, "Let it be according to your word." She agrees to participate in this somewhat surprising scheme. But I also think she knew full well what was in store for her by saying yes. She was not married and to be pregnant meant suffering social ostracism, gossip, and all sorts of social unpleasantness. This was not going to be easy or enjoyable and Mary knew it. It takes someone with a backbone to navigate something like that. I don't think it's any surprise that Mary decamps to her cousin Elizabeth's for her pregnancy. 

Abd it's here, arriving at Elizabeth's, that we read what's called The Magnificat; Mary's hymn praising God. And the centerpiece of her hymn? How God scatters the proud, brings down the mighty and sends away the rich, while in their place He raises up the humble and feeds the hungry. Mary was radical. She was radical then and she is certainly even more radical now. 

Finally, we have a glimpse of Mary the mother of now grown Jesus at the wedding at Cana. The wine has run out, possibly embarrassing the host family, so Mary goes to find her son and tells him to fix the wine problem. Jesus at first demurs, but Mary is insistent. So Jesus fixed the wine problem. Meek and mild? I don't think so. She knew the wedding host needed help and she made sure to give him that help. 

So where does this meek and mild business come from? Well, my personal belief is that there are men who are uncomfortable with strong, opinionated, and radical women. If that type of woman was who God chose to be Jesus' mother it makes a bit of a problem. If a woman can argue with God and win her point, then what does that mean for mere mortal men? How much easier for them to claim that Mary was meek and mild and just did as she was told? 

Give me radical and strong Mary any day. A Mary who stands up to societal norms, does hard things with grace, prophecies against the ungodly rich and powerful, and will fight for what is right.