As Mother’s Day is celebrated in families and churches this year, women are honored for the roles they play as nurturers, teachers, and protectors. In fact in most circles, one need not have offspring to be celebrated this one day in May. It is rightfully recognized that women across the spectrum reach into the lives of others as positive forces of love and care giving. For that, I also celebrate the exceptional women of our world, especially those in my own life.

But. Yes, with me there is almost always a but. While we celebrate all women on Mothers Day, as a culture we fail to honor the actual institution of motherhood itself, drifting further down that path of individualism and convenience, wanting to preserve the life of freedom and financial prosperity until they near the end of their reproductive years. In this society, motherhood is perceived as an unnecessary burden. And then we have the opposite problem of young girls--my own knowledge places them around the age of 12--planning pregnancies with their equally young boy friends. Their motivation is not entirely clear to me, as I believe it is multi-faceted. But it certainly is not about honoring the institution of motherhood as they are still children.

Mother’s Day celebrations should be as much about the institution of motherhood as the mothers themselves, because what better time is there to teach about the influence of motherhood on every sphere of society?. With the pervasive influence of secular feminist ideals, the attacks on marriage, and the buffet of reproductive choices available now and into the future, our culture treats motherhood as a the second to last rung on the ladder of success, the last rung being retirement. Motherhood is also regarded as a disease…dare I suggest a sexually transmitted one.

So what can we say about the institution of motherhood? Motherhood is the (secondary) source of all human life; giving life is it’s initiating act. It cannot find definition in the destruction or disrespect of life, this would be antithetical to the meaning of motherhood. This life-giving function perplexes scientists as they seek to find ways for men to become pregnant and for life to be created artificially. The desire to dominate motherhood has become the life-long goal of many researchers. And yet it is highly ridiculed by society at large.

Motherhood is the anchor of civilization.  Where motherhood is held in high regard, society’s moral compass is usually on track. It is when motherhood is reduced to merely baby factories, as is the case in middle eastern nations, that motherhood loses its place of importance and influence. Motherhood is the source of life, but is also the source of virtuous people who enter into society and influence its directionality. Societies that disregard this aspect of motherhood find themselves looking far and wide for leaders who understand the dignity of all persons or at the very least respect others as they expect to be treated.

American society still has a glimmer of respect for the institution of motherhood, but this is slowly fading. What is left is mostly a reverence for “Mother Nature” out of fear of global warming or “climate change.” But the institution of motherhood as we celebrate it this Mother’s Day is almost a thing of the past. So as persons who are celebrated this Mother’s Day, or as persons who celebrate the women who serve with motherly intent, consider how you can help to preserve the institution for the sake of God who ordained the work within the cultural mandate and the world who cannot live effectively without all that motherhood truly means. WFC