Will Your Theology Even Allow You to Consider This Question?

An Invitation to Explore Truth Without Fear

One of the most poignant questions I’ve ever heard, was asked of my husband by a music minister from the Assembly of God church we were attending at the time. He said,
“Mike, will your theology allow you to believe—”
and honestly, I don’t even remember what came next.

What stuck with me was the acknowledgment that we all carry around a personal creed—something we actually subscribe to, whether we realize it or not. Based on our study of God, our experiences, and the leadership we've sat under, we decide what ideas we’ll accept… and which ones we won’t even consider.

It’s a question I come back to often. And I think it applies to everyone—on-fire Christians, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, and all the thousands of other spiritual frameworks out there.

Today, I have a subject I want to explore with you. It's something I started my own journey with a while back.

And I want to ask:

Will your theology allow you to even consider the possibility that the woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ might have a role to play in the world today—maybe even in your life?

Or are you so closed off to her that just hearing her name makes you metaphorically put your fingers in your ears, wag your tongue, and sing, “Lah lah lah lah lah”?

Okay, that might sound dramatic—but let’s be real. I’ve just about seen that visceral of a reaction to the name Mary in non-Catholic circles.

I joke that at the name of Mary, all the Christians except the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox FLEE.
You know, kind of a twist on “At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.”
Only here, it’s like she’s the one people need to escape before they commit heresy… or worse.

Anyway, I’ve been “checking her out” for a while now—especially after returning to the Catholic Church. 

As you probably know, they’re pretty into her. The rosaries, the feasts, the titles—it’s a lot. And I was not into it, trust me—having been well-indoctrinated in the Protestant church, it was a no-go for me for a long time. But I finally started to wonder: could there actually be any truth to this myth?

Yes, I was raised Catholic—so technically, they had first dibs on my theology. But I’d say my 30 years in Protestant churches ended up being the guiding light on all things “Mary” by the time I rejoined St. Mary’s seven years ago. I didn’t participate. At all.

I’ve got lots of ex-Catholic friends in the various Protestant churches I’ve meandered through. Many of them have told me stories  (with horror, btw) about being taught to pray to Mary instead of to God. But honestly? That wasn’t my experience. Not in my Catholic parish. Not in my Catholic school.

I was taught that Jesus died on the cross for my sins so that I could boldly come to the throne of God the Father and ask Him for what I need. That was central.

So in truth, my “Mary-ology” was formed much more strongly in the Protestant church than in the Catholic one.

I can’t speak for my friends’ experiences, but I believe them. It may have been a teacher’s overreach or an inherited misunderstanding. Either way, after a few years of abstaining from all things Mary—while attending St. Mary’s Catholic Church, mind you—I started feeling like maybe I wanted to investigate her for myself.

And that’s what I did. And what I’m still doing.

Still a bit pensive, but steadily moving forward.

I decided to run a kind of spiritual experiment—to see if Mary was actually interactive with us today. I’ll share more about that tomorrow, but for now, let’s just say: we’ve come far enough that I’m willing to ask you the question.

Would you be willing to stick around and explore this with me?

May is Mary’s month, according to Catholic tradition—and since I attend St. Mary’s Catholic Church, there will be plenty for me to chew on over the coming weeks.

I’d love to talk back and forth with you about it—to identify our assumptions, where we picked them up, what we’ve experienced, and what we’re willing to consider now.

Spoiler alert:
I’ve discovered that Mary is way more present and important than I was ever led to believe in my Protestant years.
I don’t elevate her beyond where she belongs—but I’ve come to believe she’s definitely someone to contend with, and that she’s important in the era we’re living in.

So please… stay.
Don’t stay just to discredit her—or the Catholics.
Stay to seek the truth.

And as Jesus promised:

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)

I’d love to have you leave me a comment and let me know what you’re thinking about her on day one- and I hope to see you here tomorrow!