"Noticing" by Carroll Makemson
“I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God … mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe” (Luke 1:46b–47, The Message).
Pictures of cute children, greetings from family and friends, and beautiful illustrations with wishes for Christmas joy brighten our mailboxes on December days. Come January, the contents of our mailboxes are different: sales brochures, a thank you note, a credit card statement, or even a tax bill. Imagine my surprise some years ago, maybe ten or more, when I received an eye-opening thank you note for a Christmas card, a first in decades of sending cards.
This wasn’t just any thank you note for any Christmas card; it was penned by a Second Baptist Church Treasured Saint. She expressed delight in receiving a card picturing Mary and baby Jesus as persons of color. I was unfortunately caught off guard, but her message has resonated for years. I wish I could have told her that my choice was intentional, but probably not. My white privilege was exposed. I did know that the Mary celebrated in Western art with halos wasn’t accurate. I did know that Mary wasn’t Caucasian, but Middle Eastern. She and Joseph didn’t speak English, but probably Aramaic. And, she wasn’t Christian but Jewish. Loreta Moore carefully explained that seeing Mary pictured authentically gave her real joy.
Last month in a discussion of the book The Color of Compromise with Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, a friend referred to a racial awakening in his own life by saying, “I don’t know why it took me so long to notice!” Now, HIS comment continues to resonate. I, too, don’t know why it took me so long to notice art, monuments, stained glass windows, history, customs, language, and more showing implicit bias, prejudice, omission, or discrimination. Loreta tried to tell me years ago.
Our theme for this week of Advent is “The Peace We Wage,” wage meaning carry on or pursue. To wage, we must first notice. In Luke 1: 35–47, Mary sings her Magnificat. “I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God … mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe …” Try substituting “notice” for “are in awe.” May we all continue to notice as we embrace the God-news that mercy flows on all of us no matter the color of our skin, no matter how long it has taken us to notice. Awe-men!