To many Christian writers, Mary, mother of Jesus is an ongoing source of fascination.
Attracted to the life of this absorbing woman, St. Albert writer Sarah Habben has released a book that focuses on her deep respect for this internationally revered Jewish woman.
The Mom God Chose: Mothering Like Mary is a 150-page book that looks at the ancient icon’s influence as a parent and follower of her son’s teachings. As mother, Mary faced limitless joy and heartache and Habben explores those events through scripture and personal imaginings.
“I am a Christian and it was a chance to learn more about scripture,” Habben said. “What this did was give me a chance to insert myself in her head and reflect on Jesus.”
The devotional book is divided into 24 chapters containing historical information, personal supposition and a contemporary spin with interviews from present day mothers.
Historically, littlie is known of Mary. Often revered for her maidenly modesty, motherly love, inner beauty, goodness and gentleness, it is told that she was a peasant woman from the tribe of Judah in the line of King David.
“That was my first reaction too – that there wasn’t very much in the Bible about Mary. But the Bible tells us more about Mary than any other woman and mother,” said Habben.
Describing her research, Habben tells us she reread the New Testament and jotted down notes wherever Mary was mentioned.
“I divided it into small pieces. I looked at the situation and what went on in history. I tried to avoid speculation. I stayed to scripture as closely as possible, and I tried to climb into her head. But I was very careful to say when I was imagining.”
As an example, Habben talked about the ancient ritual of circumcision that takes place eight days after a male child is born.
“In the Jewish family, it’s a ceremony in itself. The public is invited and it’s a big ceremony. But Mary was not at home when Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph had moved to Bethlehem. The fact that Mary may have been denounced is a possibility because of the virgin birth. So it would have been a bitter-sweet birth.”
In the book’s contemporary portion, Habben encouraged many women to tell their stories on motherhood. One woman believes nothing is impossible with a faith in God.
Her young husband was diagnosed with cancer. Although the cancer went into remission, doctors considered him sterile. The couple adopted a child and later miraculously became pregnant.
In another chapter a 95-year-old great-grandmother tells of escaping from the Latvian front during the Second World War. She was forced to flee into an open field when suddenly warplanes approached strafing the area.
“She threw her son on the ground and covered him with her body. They were both spared.”
Habben comes by her deep faith naturally. Born in Colorado, she was raised in Malawi where her father was a minister for 10 years. She later attended post-secondary school in Wisconsin where she met her husband, Daniel.
The couple has resided in St. Albert for 16 years where Daniel Habben is pastor at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church on Cunningham Rd. The couple also co-wrote The Bloodstained Path to God in 2012.
Habben recognizes that at this time in history, many people are searching for spirituality in a confusing world.
“Mary was only human. She was not only spirited, but spiritual and people relate to her and can take comfort from her.”
The Kindle edition of The Mom God Chose: Mothering Like Mary is available at amazon.ca.
