Word to the Wise
Friday, May 18, 2012 - 6th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 18:9-18 and John 16:20-23]When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
There are places in the Gospel of John where a distinctly feminine perspective is expressed and, I dare say, a woman preacher would be better qualified to proclaim! There are the Wedding Feast at Cana, the encounter with the Samaritan Woman, the image in today's gospel about childbirth, Jesus' mother at the foot of the cross, and the post-resurrection encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalen! Today's reference to giving birth should be handed over to one of my "Mom-friends" for preaching! [They might debate the question of forgetting the pain!]
In other gospel references (Matthew, MArk and Luke) to pregnancy and childbirth, the context is the end of time, and how the events will be especially hard on pregnant and nursing mothers. Today's reference in John, however, points to a joyful outcome after a relatively brief period of suffering. The intent of the Farewell Discourse is to give hope rather than instill fear, anguish, and alertness. Jesus is promising joy. This joy, like all that he promises, is not an isolated feeling in us. It is the result of faith in him! Real friendship is going to mean periodic pain, but a perspective of joy does make that pain more bearable. Our modern situation is different from that of the early disciples, but our friends who are "Moms" can help us make sense of it! AMEN