Everyone’s favorite cover girl: Mary

It’s not unusual to see magazine stories about Mary or the Nativity during the Christmas season. Most end up being cynical, skeptical or flat-out incredulous —intent on debunking what believing Christians consider miraculous, but what more snarky historians might label as myth.

So I was pleasantly surprised to pick up a special edition of National Geographic and find a full issue devoted to the subject of Mary—treated, to my surprise, with respect and even a certain degree of reverence.

Written by Daniel S. Levy, the magazine breaks into several easily digestible chapters: “Her Early Life,” “Mary’s Times,” and “Ever Present,” among them.

The introduction notes:

Mary is a reminder of humanity’s brief moments on Earth during which we feel joy, warmth, love and grief over those closest to us. That young girl from Nazareth has helped us understand the infinite. Who is Mary and why did God choose her? It is a question people have asked for the last 2,000 years, and it is her life and influence that we explore in these pages.

It’s a good read, and an accessible introduction to a life shrouded in mystery and miracles. If you see it at the newsstand, check it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (As yet, I haven’t found any links to the material online.)