April 15, 2015

Easter is the season of Mary Magdalene for us, as Advent is the season for Mother Mary.  I’m observing this season by reading more intensively on Mary the Apostle.  Right now I’m reading two books by Jane Schaberg: The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene is the scholarly version, and the more accessible, shorter version is Mary Magdalene Understood, written with Melanie Johnson-Debaufre (my first professor of Christian Scriptures at Drew).  In both books, they follow the path of MM from contemporary issues back through the legends about her, to the “apocryphal” writings, to the canonical Scriptures.  The path is enlightening and disturbing, as we witness the erasure of women’s authority in the Church.

Schaberg begins at the archaeological site of Migdal in Galilee.  No real work has been done in decades, but signs forbid entry and barbed wire and watchdogs enforce the warning.  The site has been allowed to disintegrate - perhaps even forced to disintegrate.  Schaberg compares this to the huge project of excavating, building and preserving at Capernaum, where Peter’s mother’s house, the synagogue, and other sites are available for our inspection.  I’ve been there.  A big, modern church encloses the area.  The message is clear: Peter is the leader.

Schaberg wonders, and I wonder now: what is being covered up in this push to propel Peter to the front?  As we read the Book of the Acts of the (male) Apostles each day at Eucharist, I hear again of how Peter is becoming the next Rabbi, the one whose shadow can heal, whose word can galvanize and convert.  Mary Magdalene?  Mary the Mother?  Invisible.

We can, we must, hear the words of Scripture with reverence.  There is a story there that is life-giving.  But there are other stories of Jesus’ transforming power that were cut out, fenced off.  It is not unfaithful to question the official story.  It might be unfaithful, even heresy, to refuse to look outside the box.  Jesus certainly crossed outside.  Asking questions, looking for the rejected, got him in trouble, but it also brought life to the world.  

Let yourself wonder this season.  Where are the women?  What is served by erasing them?  What would be set free by telling their stories?