"James Harnish is the best of United Methodism. He is anchored in Jesus, soaring in song, conversant with the saints, fired by the Scriptures. When the history of the Protestant recovery of Mary is written centuries hence, Harnish's work will get a chapter." --Jason Byassee, senior pastor, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto "James Harnish offers far more than just an extensive biblical overview of the life of Mary. He extends an invitation to make the life of Mary a model for the spiritual life, to make her story our own. What results is something as surprising as the title of this book suggests: we discover our own capacity to bear the light of Jesus and give birth to hope for a hurting world." --Magrey R. deVega, senior pastor, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Florida "Through Mary's journey, James Harnish takes his readers from devotional intimacy to clarion call.

He surprises us with a story that we thought we knew, reframing our contemporary moment of crisis with the stalwart faith of a woman who said, 'Let it be with me.' There is grief in these pages, but there is also hope that rings true. Given Harnish's pastoral witness, that is no surprise at all." --Jerusha Matsen Neal, assistant professor of homiletics, Duke Divinity School.