I've been listening to Christmas songs for the last ten days or so. Non-stop, wall to wall, one after another Christmas songs. I find that the older I get, the more I enjoy listening to music that reminds me of my childhood. Nothing allows me to recall my youth like Christmas.
How many versions of "Silent Night" have I heard? It's hard to top Bing Crosby's rendition, but Elvis Presley's heartfelt version is close. I've only recently discovered contemporary Christian artists, and that's why I come late to the argument over "Mary, Did You Know?"
Mary, wife of the carpenter Joseph, daughter of Joachim and Anne, and mother of Jesus, is one of the most controversial figures in the New Testament, not because there is disagreement over her giving birth to Jesus Christ, but because there is controversy over her nature.
Catholics believe that Mary was sinless, a perpetual virgin, and assumed body and soul into heaven (the Assumption). She is venerated, but not worshipped, and can be asked to intercede on a person's behalf with her son.
Protestants see Mary a little differently. They agree that Jesus was born of a virgin, but most Protestants reject the "Immaculate Conception" and Mary's Assumption body and soul into heaven. They also believe Jesus is the only mediator between God and humanity, so prayers are directed to Jesus, not Mary.
These differences in belief about Mary play into the controversy over "Mary Did You Know?" The song was written in 1991 by Buddy Greene and Mark Lowry, who were on tour with the Gaither Vocal Band. Originally recorded by Michael English for his self-titled debut album in 1991, it's been covered by dozens of top contemporary Christian, pop, and C&W artists, including Pentatonix, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd, and CeeLo Green.
The Pentatonix rendition is special.
"The lyrics are a series of questions to Mary, Jesus’s mother, asking whether she knew during his infancy about the profound impact he would make as an adult," writes The Spectator's Joseph D'Hippolito.
Both traditional and woke Christians find many of the lyrics problematic.
Among them are “woke” Christians such as Michael Frost, a Baptist minister and theologian who calls it “the least biblical, most sexist Christmas song ever written”: least biblical because it ignores Gabriel’s proclamation to her that her son would be the savior, and most sexist because it renders Mary as no better than a helpless child.
“One of the most common expressions of everyday sexism is the infantilization of women,” Frost wrote, “. . . Could you imagine a song asking Abraham 17 times if he knew he’d be the father of a great nation? Would we sing ‘David, did you know you’d rule the kingdom of Israel?’”
Jennifer Henry, an Anglican theologian and activist who identifies as queer, mocked the lyrics by rewriting them to fit the “woke” agenda, thereby ignoring Mary’s son entirely. Some examples:
“Did you know that your holy cry/ Would be subversive word?/ That the tyrants would be trembling/ When they know your truth is heard?”
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered will soon deliver you?
"Those lyrics contradict the Catholic dogma of Mary’s immaculate conception, which asserts God protected her from original sin," writes D'Hippolito. I guess you can't please all people all the time.
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?
Jesus' mother was not a child. Historians and theologians generally believe Mary was between 12 and 16 years old when Jesus was born. In ancient Jewish society, it was common for girls to be engaged shortly after reaching puberty, typically around 12 or 13 years old. Most Christian historians lean toward a range of 15 or 16 years old at the time of birth, accounting for the period between her betrothal and the conclusion of her pregnancy.
I think the allegory of a young girl presented with the overwhelming news that she was going to carry the son of God, a sheltered, innocent child barely able to grasp the enormity of her future, would be asking many questions that she didn't have answers for. The song humanizes Mary as few accounts of her young life ever do.
Forget the controversy over the details of dogma and focus on the implications of this young girl's burden and our own need to be saved from ourselves.
During perhaps the most hectic season of the year, do we really take time to contemplate the astounding life Mary’s baby led and the implications of his teaching? Can we cut ourselves away from much of the sentimentality surrounding the nativity story – let alone our own biases – to see that this special baby would grow up to face profound personal sorrows, create powerful enemies, and allow himself to die a bloody, excruciating death for a crime he never committed?
Perhaps most importantly, how do we respond to the ultimate challenge Christianity poses, that God intended such a death to rescue the human race from itself?
Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is another song that humanizes the young girl and her probable doubts about whether she is really worthy.
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
Arguing about matters of dogma and whether a pop song gets it right, or debating the issues of political correctness in a Christmas song, is idiotic. Focus on the power of the music and the humanity of the lyrics.
That's where the divine can be glimpsed.
Christmas is almost here, but the gift that keeps on giving lasts all year.
Right now, you can get 74% off PJ Media VIP with the code MERRY74—and yes, that same deal works if you want to give VIP as a gift to someone who appreciates sharp commentary, fearless reporting, and a little common sense in a world that’s running low on it.
PJ Media VIP gives you exclusive articles, podcasts, and community access you won’t find anywhere else—and your support helps keep independent conservative voices strong heading into the new year.
This special Christmas offer runs through New Year’s Day, so don’t wait. Use code MERRY74 and save 74% today—for yourself or someone else.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member