Mary stayed with Elizabeth… (Luke 1:56a).

Here at the Liu household we are treating ourselves to episodes of Call the Midwife on Netflix. 

This series follows the community of midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House in the Poplar district in London’s impoverished East End during the 1950s and ‘60s.  The small community of midwives and the larger community of Poplar show up before, during, and after the birth of a baby to help, support, encourage, and love those with needs.

In our Scripture we find two pregnant women blessed to have the other to offer that help, support, encouragement, and love. Elizabeth and Mary formed their own tiny community of two who had experienced what was humanly impossible, the wonder of that, and the message that came with it. In their tiny community they could be honest, awestruck and understood.

Elizabeth and Mary were relatives, meaning they also shared the community of their large extended family. That family was a subset of a still larger community—Judaism.  These communities had already shamed Elizabeth for her years of barrenness. Now it was a given that they would shame Mary for her seemingly scandalous pregnancy.

Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone says, “(It is) beyond a doubt that social connectedness is one of the most powerful determinants of our well-being.” 

Considering what we know about the culture of their day, their community of two—plus the Holy Spirit of course—would have been the most powerful determinant of Elizabeth and Mary’s well-being. 

Do you realize what a goldmine of community a local church can be? I stood at the back of a new church one Sunday morning thinking, “One day I will know these people and some of them will be my friends.” I could think that because that had happened in my many previous churches.

As it turned out, someone in that church became suspicious of me. That was a hard season. Some of you may have faced something similar— shaming, the cold shoulder, getting lost in the crowd, not being understood or accepted for who you are, (fill in the blank).

We who have been hurt, though, can become the ones who have a heart for midwifing new communities like the one Elizabeth and Mary had. If we have forgiven those who hurt us, we are able to show up with help, support, encouragement, and love. Every church —including ours—needs people to midwife social and spiritual connectedness in its community.

Could you be sensing a Call-the-Midwife tug from God with your name on it? What next step could He be leading you to take in response?

There are already lots of “midwives” on call in our CCC community. Let’s pray that their efforts flourish.