22nd March
Mothering Sunday
The story of Moses in Bulrushes isn’t just about Moses’ mother. It is about mothering- the qualities that make up maternal love. And from the story of Moses we can see that he wasn’t given just one mother but blessed with the love of three motherly women: his birth mother, his extraordinarily brave and resourceful sister and the warm-hearted Egyptian princess. These three women literally saved his life and put him on the path to becoming the saviour of his people. The story is a heart-warming one. Moses’s birth mother showed great courage and wisdom in allowing her son to be given away and put into danger in the shallows of the Nile. Moses’s sister, Miriam, was quick, alert, ready of wit and passionately concerned for her little brother’s survival. The character of the princess is interesting and it is sad that we know so little about her. Did she already have a husband and children? Was she childless? We do not know anything about her except that she felt compassion for the crying baby in the bulrushes and gave him a home and an education. I feel very strongly that we should not assign special place to people that happen to have given birth! Many of the best mothers I know have never had children of their own, but they do have that special desire to nurture and protect which is the best kind of maternal feeling. The story of Moses and his three mothers reminds us on Mothering Sunday that the day is not just a celebration of mums (although we all had one)! The day is a chance to reflect on maternal feelings and how, at their very best, they can tell us about how God loves us.
Prayer-
God of love, passionate and strong, tender and careful; watch over us and hold us all the days of our life. Commission- Go out there and be forgiving, loving, embracing and reconciling. Be the true you without the baggage we have forgotten how to let go.