spotlight

Luke 1: 26–38

Did Mary have a choice,
when the angel came to say
that God had made a choice
and she was it? The chosen
virgin favoured by
the Holy for this most holy
sacred duty, carry life
Divine, shoulder blame and burden;
you are chosen, heaven’s words
to earth’s most humble, lowly,
overlooked and insignificant – but
she was chosen, favoured
above all, and this will
be and you will see
and you will name and all
will praise the name,
a child who will be great
and he will reign and does
the angel deign to give
to Mary her own voice,
a chance to choose, or
does Mary have no say?

Here am I – she chooses
to accept, to stand, to
receive; chooses not to run or
hide, let it be with me,
let it be, according to your
word – no choice?
But Mary chooses to accept,
to take the rose she has been
given, with all the blood its thorns
will spill and she does choose
to be the chosen, to stand
spot lit,
scrutinised, subject
to the scorn and to rejection
as her son will leave, will
challenge, taste defeat and she
will kneel, weeping at the feet
of cross and empty tomb.


No choice? Oh, Mary has a choice,
and so do we – resist,
or find the courage to stand up,
withstanding arrows from the dark,
with Jesus in the light.