Martha, Martha, Martha. This morning I read about Mary and Martha. Jesus comes to their house, and Mary sits at Jesus’ feet worshipping him, and Martha is distracted by her many tasks. She pouts to Jesus, pointing out that there’s a lot to do, and Mary is just lounging at Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds with something that has always challenged me – there is need for only one thing, and Mary has chosen the better part.
What? She’s sitting around doing nothing, and there’s all this work to be done! This dichotomy, between the doing Martha and the contemplative Mary shows up in books written about ‘being Martha’, and in contemplative retreats where some people volunteer to come be the Martha’s, so the retreatants can do the one thing. As someone who’s always prided myself on my do-ing, I chafe at the idea that Martha’s wrong, that her part is not needed.
But I’m warming to that one thing that Mary does. She provides her undivided attention to Jesus. She’s not distracted. She’s not worrying about the many tasks to be done, or pouting about the injustice of her workload. I’d like to believe that Jesus’ comment to Martha isn’t suggesting that the do-ing is the problem. Rather, it’s the fact that she’s distracted by the tasks, and distracted when doing them.
Some years ago, I was involved in a class on spiritual places. At the time, I was busy with a big job and small kids. We were asked to spend time thinking about a holy place in your home, somewhere you felt God’s presence. I thought about all of the places that should be that spot – the comfy corner where I read scripture, the desk where I wrote. But without a doubt, the spot that felt the holiest was my kitchen work table. Quietly, undistractedly, and intentionally, I could chop onions. I was do-ing, and undistracted. I could pray, not necessarily with words like “Dear Jesus…”, but in that way is beyond words, led by the Spirit. I could contemplate. As conceived in Celtic spirituality, the kitchen was my thin place – where the eternal and spiritual met my physical and mundane world.
I’d like to believe that for us do-ers, the challenge is to find the quiet, focused, intentionality in the do-ing, rather than being distracted by it. I once read a book about Zen cooking, written by a Buddhist cook at retreat center. It was all about how to be incredibly intentional and un-distracted while cooking. Thank the dish rag for the work it’s done and take care of it as you rinse it out and hang it up to do its job again. While I don’t actually thank the dish rag, I do occasionally remember that if I intentionally rinse it out, it will be better able to do the job I’m asking it to do, without being a stinky mess in the corner of the sink.
None of this is to say that Martha’s do-ing is the better part, or that I don’t sometimes sit and pray, like Mary. But in the midst of my Martha-ness, I try to remove the distracted-ness, so while dusting, or commuting, or chopping, I can ‘sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what he says’. That’s the better part, and I can only do that when I’m not distracted.
This morning, I want to try to one thing at a time, keep my mind focused on that one thing, and leave space to listen to what God says while I’m doing it. Even when I’m chopping onions.
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