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Advent and Insurrection | Reflections on Mary’s Song

December 17, 2021

Over the past week, I have been watching with bated breath as the investigations into the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol continued to unfold. As more evidence comes out, it’s clear that the events of that day were even more severe than we knew at the time. From my home in suburban Washington, DC, I can vividly recall the fear and anxiety I experienced as I worried about the safety of my colleagues, friends, and community that live mere blocks away from the Capitol. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year.


However, in many ways, life has moved on. I understand the temptation to think of the insurrection as a singular event: a dark moment in our nation’s history that we now must move past. We want to think we’re out of the woods, but that’s not true. Insurrection is the era we live in, and the slow-motion coup undermining our democracy continues around us.


We are at a turning point in our democracy. Voting rights continue to be under attack. Elected officials have chosen a commitment to arcane Senate rules over passing meaningful legislation that the majority of Americans support. There has been little to no accountability for those who spread the lies that led to Jan. 6. What happens in the next few months or years will determine whether we have a functional, representative democracy.


What does it mean for us to be faithful in this time of insurrection and when there’s decreased access to the ballot box?

I recently wrote this reflection for Word&Way about Advent in the time of insurrection. Advent is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for both the birth of Jesus on Christmas and his eventual return. This season gives us space to hold in tension both the pain and suffering of the world we still live in and the joy and hope of the promises to come.


My own spiritual practice of Advent has recently brought me back to Mary’s song in Luke 1, also known as the Magnificat. Mary was a very young Jewish girl who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. She lived under Roman occupation in a patriarchal society where the words of a young woman held little value. One day, an angel appeared to her and proclaimed that although she was a virgin, she would soon give birth to a baby who would grow up to be the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of the Jewish people. Although she didn’t fully understand how this was possible, Mary trusted that God’s will would be done. While pregnant, Mary went to visit her much older cousin Elizabeth, who had her own story of a miracle pregnancy. When Mary greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth immediately recognizes that Mary was carrying the Son of God. She affirms the message that the angel gave to Mary. Mary responds with this song, found in Luke 1:46-55 (NRSV):


“And Mary said,


‘My soul magnifies the Lord,

   and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

 His mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

 He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

    and lifted up the lowly;

 he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and sent the rich away empty.

 He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’”

In the midst of so much political chaos, I long for the confidence that Mary projects in this song. When confronted with authoritarian leaders and a lack of accountability for those who propped them up, I want to believe that God will cast the powerful from their thrones and lift up the lowly. I wonder how long we must wait to catch a glimpse of this ultimate justice.



In the midst of the waiting, there is still reason to hope. It is God in us that allows us to participate in his great liberation work.


Although Mary didn’t have all the answers, she said yes to God’s vision for a new kind of kingdom built on love and human dignity. We have the opportunity to do the same. In fact, the Bible itself is a handbook for resisting tyranny. As we get to know the text in this way, it can inform us, give us courage, and change hearts and minds.


Our scripture gives us the tools to interrupt the dangerous slide into authoritarianism. As authoritarians incite hate and divide the citizenry, we can be democracy-building catalysts. We can challenge one another to remove blinders that come with implicit bias and white privilege. We can hold one another accountable and model democratic decision making. We can stand in solidarity with the marginalized and follow their lead as we join together in rebuilding our society to model the social norms presented to us at Sinai and echoed in the words of the prophets.



As we enter this new year, we have the opportunity to use our power in solidarity as a community to build the future we want to see. We can create a world where Mary’s song rings true.


On the evening of Jan. 6, my organization Faith in Public Life hosted an impromptu virtual prayer vigil with leaders from different faith traditions and communities. I closed that event with this prayer, and it continues to be my prayer for all of us here at the end of this year:


I hope you come away again knowing that you are not alone and knowing that you have spiritual power that can transform this country through divine rage that leads to love and manifests itself in activism and change. We can build the democracy that we’ve aspired to be and this is our moment to do it.



Action

Christian Leaders Continue Opposition to ReAwaken America Tour — at Trump Resort | Word & Way

May 12, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Word & Way Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison Tuesday to discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism. Members say Christian nationalism is becoming a resurgent problem throughout the nation. They say Christian nationalism runs contrary to all of their faith traditions and want to do what they can to unite against it.

How (Not) to Miss Resurrection

May 2, 2023
We get so accustomed to thinking Easter is just one Sunday, but in the church calendar, Easter is a whole season that transpires over several Sundays and with good reason: it turns out that Easter or resurrection takes time to recognize. Why is resurrection so hard to spot when we are so anxious to see it? The Easter texts explore this in depth. A few weeks ago, the Easter text focused on the story of Mary Magdalene – one of the first to proclaim Jesus had risen. You can read about how I “met” her in Oxford here. Unlike many of Jesus’ other disciples, she kept going even when all looked lost. Her resolute commitment despite the odds enabled her to see. Our response to injustice or tragedy is often one of either denial or obsession. Mary did neither-- she confronted the reality of death while refusing to ignore the possibility of witnessing a miracle. The text for the third Sunday of Easter follows two of Jesus’ disciples who took a little longer to recognize resurrection. (Luke 24:13-35) The same day that Mary Magdalene and the other women announce Jesus has risen, two of the disciples are walking toward Emmaus, downcast and replaying the events of the crucifixion. A stranger approaches and asks what they are discussing. Frustrated with the man’s ignorance of the Messiah’s torture and death, they lash out. The man listens, then admonishes them for not seeing how all of this was foretold in the liberation stories of Moses and the prophets. The man who walks with them is Jesus, but their fear and grief prevents them from seeing that their friend and leader has risen. If you are reading this, I doubt you are in denial, but you might, like me, let anxiety rather than possibility govern your perception when threats abound. Scientists tell us that the brain naturally works this way. In times of crisis, the “reptilian brain,” the part of the brain that directs our primal instincts, takes over, putting us in fight or flight mode. These days all of our reptilian brains are on overdrive. There’s a war going on in Ukraine. Christian nationalism is rapidly spreading, hijacking faith, fueling violence and destabilizing democracy. We are seeing alarming rates of gun violence driven not just by widespread weapons of war but a culture of violence that grants permission to shoot children for simply mistaking an address. The disciples on the road to Emmaus may look like fools for not recognizing what was right in front of them, but I can relate. Threats on the horizon can prevent me from seeing the possibility of resurrection. The moment Jesus breaks bread is the moment they recognize him. Their eyes are opened through the powerful ritual of communion, the meal that Jesus urged them to celebrate in anticipation of liberation. Through sharing food and connecting face to face, they are building community that enables them to stop spinning in fear. Perhaps one spiritual practice for us in these difficult times is to build or deepen a community around us that can help us witness resurrection. Hold each other accountable to celebrating the possibilities of our future together, so that we can have the courage to advance human flourishing even in the face of death and destruction. We will need help to see things that are nearly invisible, like the first green buds of spring on a seemingly dead limb.
Image text: Magdalene's Unfailing Hope: Witnessing Resurrection

Magdalene's Unfailing Hope

April 14, 2023
A few weeks ago, I had the absolute privilege of leaving the country. I was in Oxford, England with a group of religious leaders tackling white Christian nationalism. Despite the heavy topic, I felt a lift. Getting the heck out of dodge, out of the muck of ongoing culture wars and the barrage of misinformation spewing from a former president, made me feel like I could breathe again. I wandered the historic town of Oxford during breaks. On one of these breaks, I wandered alone into a 12th century church that sat perilously between two busy avenues on a small triangle beckoning like an oasis. It was the St. Mary Magdalen Church. I’d never seen a single church named for this early church woman leader and stood in awe. The sign in the entryway was extensive. It read: St. Mary Magdalen is known as the Apostle to the Apostles because she was chosen to witness and spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection. She is one of the very few followers of Jesus who stayed with him at his death and then went to his tomb early on Easter morning to anoint his body.
Resources to Counter White Christian Nationalism

Resources to Counter White Christian Nationalism

March 30, 2023
As I’ve met pastors, clergy and other faith leaders across the country, one question has come up over and over: “What can my congregation do to counter white Christian nationalism?” We have a unique opportunity in this moment to organize our faith communities to reclaim our spiritual practices and protect our democracy. I have compiled the following resources to support you in this work.

8 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2023 | Sojourners

March 9, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Sojourners For the past seven years, Sojourners has celebrated Women’s History Month by highlighting women whose work who has inspired us with their visions for a more just world — and church. The women in this year’s list include authors and reporters; activists and advocates; professors and pastors, but they’re all united by their commitment to tell radical, inclusive stories and their belief that shaping the church and world starts in one’s own community. These women teach, speak, podcast, and organize on behalf of many causes and communities, including reproductive health rights; multi-faith, multiracial democracy; garment workers; and Black liberation. We offer gratitude for their public leadership and passionate witness. We asked each leader to share why their work is so important, describe their vision of justice, and offer a prayer or blessings for 2023. We hope you’ll be blessed by their prayers and encouraged by their work.
Help! My Dad has gone down the QAnon rabbit hole!

Loving our “Enemies” in an age of Conspiracy Theories and Christian Nationalism

February 27, 2023
Many of us see the impact of rising support for Christian nationalism and QAnon as people we know get pulled into these dangerous belief systems. How can we help when friends, family or co-workers have been drawn to such beliefs? This month, nineteen faith organizations in Wisconsin came together to host my Faith in Democracy Tour and this is one of the important topics we covered. Challenging fear-based ideologies is critical to saving our democracy and Wisconsin has found itself at the epicenter as a battleground state. With one in five Americans caught up in QAnon and over fifty percent of Republican voters adhering or sympathetic to Christian nationalism, it’s time we figure this out. We can’t afford NOT to reach those in our orbit. Research shows that relationships and trust are the only way to reach people pulled into extremism. We often have more power than we know to influence the people in our lives away from these destructive ideologies. As one who has had more than my share of knock-down-drag-out debates at family gatherings, I have been wrestling over the years with what to do when I encounter this ideology taking root in the souls of people I am deeply connected to. I recognize that the suggestion we can even have healing conversations with those who embrace antisemitic, racist and sexist ideologies may seem strange or even offensive, particularly if you are the target of such views. I speak to white Christians in particular when I say we need to pull our people out, and I recognize this work is not for everyone. How do we “pull people out?” Most of us want to tackle wrong beliefs with facts and logic. Instead, psychologists have found that we must first address the underlying fear, anxiety or anger that has driven the person into the hands of a dangerous worldview. We need to understand the psychology behind extremism. Research shows that people are most vulnerable to conspiracy theories and violent extremism when their cultural worldview--the beliefs, values and structures that give meaning and structure to one’s life--is shattered. “Social domains” are the institutions and social structures that hold a worldview in place. They include religion, culture/media/Hollywood, government, science, gender roles, the economy, education, ideas about race and class and many more. When these domains are shattered, people become psychologically vulnerable. You can imagine some of the challenges to these social domains in recent years: sex scandals in religious institutions and Hollywood, a pandemic and a strained medical system that leave many feeling neglected and doubting science, rapidly changing social norms and structures and growing economic inequality that threatens livelihoods. As a person’s social domains unravel, they experience anger, anxiety and lack of trust. Conspiracy theories and violent worldviews offer a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose. They appeal not through logic but through meeting emotional needs. QAnon, for example, offered a community that bonded over pursuing clues left by “Q” who was believed to be a high-placed government official seeking to dismantle a cabal of elites who trafficked children. In order to disrupt or dismantle dangerous beliefs, we must first address the same underlying emotional needs that these beliefs appear to meet.

Minister warns Wisconsinites about 'destructive worldview' of white Christian nationalism | Raw Story

February 10, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Raw Story For three days this week, the Rev. Jennifer Butler has toured Wisconsin, warning against the resurgence of white Christian nationalism in politics and religion alike. White Christian nationalism is as old as the nation, says Butler. “It’s a deliberate attempt to conflate religious identity with ethnic and national identity,” she says, “to say that America is a nation that was founded by and for white Christians, and primarily for men to be in charge.”

Video: Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison to discuss their role in countering White Christian Nationalism | WKOW

February 8, 2023
Faith in Democracy Tour on WKOW Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison to discuss their role in countering White Christian Nationalism

Local faith leaders discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism | WKOW

February 7, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler on WKOW Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison Tuesday to discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism. Members say Christian nationalism is becoming a resurgent problem throughout the nation. They say Christian nationalism runs contrary to all of their faith traditions and want to do what they can to unite against it.

Warning Wisconsin people of faith about white Christian nationalism | Wisconsin Examiner

February 7, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in The Wisconsin Examiner For three days this week, the Rev. Jennifer Butler has toured Wisconsin, warning against the resurgence of white Christian nationalism in politics and religion alike.  White Christian nationalism is as old as the nation, says Butler. “It’s a deliberate attempt to conflate religious identity with ethnic and national identity,” she says, “to say that America is a nation that was founded by and for white Christians, and primarily for men to be in charge.”
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