The Holy Spirit, An Agitator for Justice
A reflection on the readings for Easter 6B In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May as the national day of observance for Mother’s Day. However, the history of Mother’s Day is much longer than the legislation of a 101 years ago. The ancient culture of Greece and Rome, out of which our Christian faith grew, worshipped the female goddess Rhea, who was the mother of all the Gods. Christians have worshipped Mary, the mother of Jesus, and held her up as a model for womanhood and motherhood. In the 17th century England created Mothering Sunday designed to allow working people to have a day off in order to travel home and spend the day with family. Woodrow Wilson’s declaration was the result of the efforts of two women, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis. You might remember that Julia Ward Howe, following a visit to Civil War battlegrounds in 1861, wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The hymn’s theology is based on the Book of Revelation. Then, in...