Making Peace With Mother's Day
Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we
intended.
When Anna Jarvis invited some friends to her home in May of 1907 to commemorate the life of her mother she was hoping to create a tradition that would celebrate the Spirit of Motherhood. She was inspired by the witness of her mom, Ann Maria Jarvis, who led a crusade of compassion during the Civil War. In the midst of raging conflict that pitted neighbor against neighbor, Ann Maria battled against the murder, violence, and racism of her time. She brought a spirit of motherhood to the battlefields as she organized Mother’s Day Work Clubs to care for the wounded soldiers; declaring their neutrality, the mothers provided relief and healing for the suffering soldiers regardless of which side they were on. Fortified by her faith in Jesus Christ, Ann Maria revealed the truth of a mother’s love as an unstoppable force that defies divisions.
As the war came to a close and opposition forces began to return home, tension in the community was high. How could neighbors, having fought so violently against each other, now live in peace as one community? Here again, Ann Maria and her fellow moms put the Spirit of Motherhood into action. They organized Mother’s Friendship Day events bringing together soldiers and neighbors of all political and ideological perspectives. Although many believed it couldn’t work, their peacemaking efforts where a huge success.
After Ann Maria’s death her daughter, Anna Jarvis, gathered a group of friends and began to promote the idea for a day of tribute to mothers. She envisioned celebrations within churches and families to give thanks for the mothers who heal wounds and keep peace, who see beyond the conflict of today to build the unity of tomorrow, mothers, like her own, who by their example of virtue form their children in faith and teach them to become peacemakers of their time.
So many people today view Mother’s Day as a “greeting card” holiday. Commercialized to such a degree that even Anna Jarvis herself grew to resent it, Mother’s Day is rarely understood as she intended. In New Orleans we are twice scourged as we cope with the reality of Mother’s Day celebrations turned violent and the daily loss of life. Much like Ann Maria we live amidst battles that pit neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, and tensions run high. Although many say it won’t work, our peacemaking efforts witness to an unstoppable force; the spirit of motherhood is strong and when strengthened in Christ, nothing is impossible. As people of Christ’s beloved church we are called into her spirit of motherhood; we are called to take action for peace in the battle of today. We can begin by living this day as a tribute to the Spirit of Motherhood. We can begin by looking past the greeting cards to see the true hallmarks of Mother’s Day: reconciliation, faith, healing, and peace.
(sources: www.wvculture.org; www.mothersdayshrine.com, http://news.nationalgeographic.com )
When Anna Jarvis invited some friends to her home in May of 1907 to commemorate the life of her mother she was hoping to create a tradition that would celebrate the Spirit of Motherhood. She was inspired by the witness of her mom, Ann Maria Jarvis, who led a crusade of compassion during the Civil War. In the midst of raging conflict that pitted neighbor against neighbor, Ann Maria battled against the murder, violence, and racism of her time. She brought a spirit of motherhood to the battlefields as she organized Mother’s Day Work Clubs to care for the wounded soldiers; declaring their neutrality, the mothers provided relief and healing for the suffering soldiers regardless of which side they were on. Fortified by her faith in Jesus Christ, Ann Maria revealed the truth of a mother’s love as an unstoppable force that defies divisions.
As the war came to a close and opposition forces began to return home, tension in the community was high. How could neighbors, having fought so violently against each other, now live in peace as one community? Here again, Ann Maria and her fellow moms put the Spirit of Motherhood into action. They organized Mother’s Friendship Day events bringing together soldiers and neighbors of all political and ideological perspectives. Although many believed it couldn’t work, their peacemaking efforts where a huge success.
After Ann Maria’s death her daughter, Anna Jarvis, gathered a group of friends and began to promote the idea for a day of tribute to mothers. She envisioned celebrations within churches and families to give thanks for the mothers who heal wounds and keep peace, who see beyond the conflict of today to build the unity of tomorrow, mothers, like her own, who by their example of virtue form their children in faith and teach them to become peacemakers of their time.
So many people today view Mother’s Day as a “greeting card” holiday. Commercialized to such a degree that even Anna Jarvis herself grew to resent it, Mother’s Day is rarely understood as she intended. In New Orleans we are twice scourged as we cope with the reality of Mother’s Day celebrations turned violent and the daily loss of life. Much like Ann Maria we live amidst battles that pit neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, and tensions run high. Although many say it won’t work, our peacemaking efforts witness to an unstoppable force; the spirit of motherhood is strong and when strengthened in Christ, nothing is impossible. As people of Christ’s beloved church we are called into her spirit of motherhood; we are called to take action for peace in the battle of today. We can begin by living this day as a tribute to the Spirit of Motherhood. We can begin by looking past the greeting cards to see the true hallmarks of Mother’s Day: reconciliation, faith, healing, and peace.
(sources: www.wvculture.org; www.mothersdayshrine.com, http://news.nationalgeographic.com )
posted by smurp at 12:03 PM
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