In praise of mothers

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Television scriptwriters know that if you want a successful family sitcom, Mom had better play a prominent role. Perhaps you remember June Cleaver, the all-together Mom in the TV show Leave it to Beaver. Then there was Claire Huxtable, the have-it-all Mom in the The Cosby Show. There was Ann Romano the divorced-ad-exec Mom with her hands full rearing two teenage daughters in One Day at a Time and Angela Bauer, the-wealthy-divorced-single-mom-trying-to-fill-the-Daddy-void-for-her-impressionable-young-son in Who’s The Boss. Livia was the unflappable Mafia-Mom in The Sopranos and Carol was the stay-at-home-trying-to-blend-children-from-two-families Mom in The Brady Bunch.

Mothers, real or imaginary, have a vital role in shaping the destiny of their family. Well has it been said that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Though no human mother is perfect, most love their children in a profoundly deep and unconditional way. A mother’s love comes as close to unconditional love as we humans are able. It is therefore a beautiful reflection of God’s unconditional love for us.

The most prominent personal characteristic of God shown in the Bible is that of being fatherly, but God’s relationship with us is also described as being like a mother. In Isaiah 66:13, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” In Luke 13:34 Jesus likened himself to a mother hen in lamenting Jerusalem’s rejection of him, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

One of the last things Jesus did before he died on the cross was ask a friend to look after his mother. “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27 NIV 1984).

In spite of his own agony, Jesus was concerned for his mother. So as Mother’s Day draws near, let me encourage you to follow his example.

Mother’s Day, or something similar, is celebrated in many countries around the world. This year, in the US, it falls on Sunday, May 12. It isn’t an official Christian celebration, but you’d think it was. LifeWay Research conducted a survey of 1000 Protestant pastors and discovered from them that Mother’s Day was the third most attended church service in the year (after Easter and Christmas).

I’d like to share a good story that I recently heard about honoring our mothers. A woman had stopped to order flowers to be wired to her mother who lived 200 miles away. As she left her car to enter the shop, she noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. She asked what was wrong and the girl replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have 75 cents and a rose costs $2.00.” The woman smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” She bought the girl her rose and then ordered flowers for her own mother. As they were leaving, she offered to take the girl home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” The girl directed the woman to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave. The woman returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove 200 miles to her mother’s home.

The role of Mother is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us. Let’s think about how we can show our appreciation—to God—and to our Moms—on Mother’s Day.

Your brother in Christ,

Joseph Tkach

PS: From time to time we hear of GCI elders/pastors who are celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries (20th, 25th, etc.). If you will email us the details and include a digital picture of the celebrating couple, we’ll be pleased to include an announcement here in GCI Weekly Update.