With a busy Mother’s Day weekend, I am a little later getting my reflection out. For the past several days, I have been thinking about mothers from the Bible. There really were all types!  My mind settled on Mary and her relative Elizabeth. Who better to understand what Mary was going through than Elizabeth?  Both had been blessed by God with pregnancy miracles! They must have had much to talk about.

To a young mother such as Mary, the news of her pregnancy must have been both thrilling and frightening. After all, in those ancient times, a woman who was pregnant out of wedlock could be stoned to death. We can only imagine that Elizabeth was a source of comfort and advice to Mary.  How to tell Joseph?  Should Mary’s parents be told?  So many questions for one so young!

If our church is the body of Christ, and a form of spiritual family, then we are all spiritual mothers, sisters, and brothers to one another. In that role, let us be supportive, attuned to the needs of one another, and encouraging each other in times of uncertainty and confusion. Let us not be judgemental, but rather compassionate.

Elizabeth was the perfect comfort source for a young and vulnerable Mary. Who can you be a sibling, parent, or grandparent to in our congregation?

Have a blessed week!

Diana Kongkeattikul