by the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson
the MOTHER OF ALL cares for the stranger,
orphan and widow she bears upMark 7:24, from A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church
I have learned many good lessons about caring from my mother and from the mothers in my life. So often the language of our faith has centered a father image for the divine, even when we know that God’s being, the image of God, includes and transcends all genders. So, this fresh translation provides a needed response to the monolithically patriarchal images we have of God.
So too, this psalm reminds me of the ministry of Jesus who preached like the prophets of old, that God’s care prioritizes orphans and those abandoned by their families, the widow and those whom our culture lets slip through the cracks, and those who cross borders and barriers to create a better life – the stranger, the alien, and the immigrant.
Mother of All, teach me to care as you care!
Ohio Spiderwort – Tradescantiaohiensis
These photographs, shared each day during Lent, capture the beauty of plants native to the Upper Midwest. As we spend time in Lenten reflection, these images of new life can remind us daily of our calling to be caretakers of God’s Creation.
Photo by Jo Anna Hebberger
