“Here is your mother”

March 18, 2008
Tuesday

John 19:25-26

Above Ephesus, on Bulbul Mountain, is the House of the Virgin Mary. It is supposedly the place where Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the Apostle John lived during the last days of her life, and where she was eventually buried. Much of the house is closed off to the public but there is an area, that looks a great deal like a chapel, where folks can walk through and pay homage.
I figured seeing the “house” it would be a “Catholic” pilgrimage—using the stereotype that if it had to do with the Virgin Mary, it had to be Catholic. The other three persons on the tour were Catholic, so I decided I’d go through the motions as I knew it would be an important place for them. I later found out it was also a place of pilgrimage for Muslims because Mary was the mother of one of their prophets and is mentioned many times in the Koran.
The place was packed with tourists as the cruise ships were in town. We followed the line past a nun and into the house. I was immediately moved by the sacredness of the moment. This was holy ground for me! Why? How? I don’t know. What I do know is that God spoke to me in that place, in a way that reminded me how dangerous stereotypes can be. I was also very much aware that God seeks us out even when we aren’t looking for God. As we moved through the house, I felt love, grace, peace, and comfort. Had Mary and John really moved here at some point after the death of Jesus? It didn’t matter. I knew in that moment that I was a child of God and that I was in the presence of my divine parent. It was amazing! Do you have such a relationship with God? Would you like to? I invite you to give it prayerful thought. I’d love to talk with you about it.