
I’ve always thought that Mother’s Day was a day to honor my personal relationship with my mother, and the relationship between mothers and their children, in general. I’ve always thought of it as a day that was about interpersonal and family relationships. So, I was surprised to find out that Mother’s Day originated in the women’s suffrage movement as a day to promote peace and nonviolence in the world.1 The mothering role of women, what was referred to as their “mother-heartedness,” was believed to motivate them to promote peace. As a matter of fact, one of the arguments in favor of giving women the right to vote was that, because of their “mother-heartedness,” they would be more likely than men to promote peace. Hmmm. Mother’s Day was originally political and communal, focused on peace in the world, not just interpersonal, focused only on mother and child and the family. Isn’t that interesting? This day was originally about peace and justice and love for all, and the role that women already play and could further play in bringing those things about.
FULL SERMON HERE