Humble, Grateful, Unsure, Full of Faith by Becky Gossett
And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. (Luke 1:46-48)
Humble – Grateful – Unsure – Full of Faith
Billy and I were touring the Philadelphia Museum of Art when I found what is to me the most incredible painting ever. This painting, by Henry Ossawa Tanner, was The Annunciation. On one canvas, the story of Mary and the angel’s visit came to life. Tanner depicted the teenaged Mary in simple clothing, messy hair, and sitting on what appears to be her bed in a simple room. The look on her face is surprise, or maybe concern, or maybe fear . . . but certainly not confidence. (AND—we’ll talk about the angel another time. Oh, my.)
The artist created this painting upon returning to Paris from a trip to Egypt and Palestine in 1897. I am convinced that he was determined to tell the story of a real girl in a real middle eastern setting. There is no halo. Look the picture up; I think anyone who views this painting will add this to their list of favorites! The whole thing makes me emotional.
As much as a painting can bring life to a story, so can music. You may know the Amy Grant song, “Breath of Heaven.” (Go ahead . . . look it up!) The words tell the story of an unsure Mary, asking God to “hold me together” as she expresses her loneliness and fear. In this verse, we see Mary full of doubt, but mostly full of faith . . .
Do you wonder, as you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place?
But I offer all I am, For the mercy of your plan.
Help me be strong.
Help me be.
Help me.
The Bible tells us that Mary found joy and gratitude in her situation. We know that she was a woman full of faith.
We can draw many conclusions about Mary, based on scripture. . . and maybe sometimes art and music.