Living Water in the Wilderness

The Magnificat is aptly named. Mary’s words offer a magnificent declaration of the nature of the Holy One who is intimately involved with our humanity. It’s a song in honor of the Unmoved Mover who shatters the illusions of the self-sufficient and flips the pyramids of power and the pharaohs who build them upside down. Mary gives voice to the freedom song of Christians throughout the centuries.
This scriptural song and proclamation also represents performative speech. It helps accomplish what it describes—language that does what it says. And we could apply the term that Michel Foucault uses to Mary’s song: parrhesia. The term comes from the Greek and means “fearless speech.”
Four conditions identify this scripture-song as fearless speech. First, it tells the truth. Second, the speaker risks real danger in speaking the truth. Third, the declaration contains criticism of the unjust situation and those who profit from an oppressive status quo. Last, the speaker/singer understands that she speaks from a calling, a sense of duty. So truth, danger, criticism, and duty are all conditions of this fearless speech.
In addition, this young, soon-to-be mother isn’t trying to convince her community to believe what she’s saying by using powerful images or persuasive arguments. Mary means what she says and is saying what she means. She believes that the Holy One is with her, and the world will never be the same.