Jesus’ work was not just the preparation of souls for heaven, it was also the redeeming of creation.  As Christians we live in a strange age: after Christ initiated his kingdom but before his kingdom has been completed.  There is a kind of tension built into our very souls: we yearn for the completed kingdom, we appreciate what Christ has already done and we struggle on the journey from this life to eternal life.  It is not logical, but a mystery.  Yet Mary, a young, simple girl not only understood, she saw such beauty in the mystery that she set it to song: The Magnificat.

Julie Clawson at The Christian Century tells the rest of the story.