Our “Texts” For Today

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her cell phone and its many apps, its email, texts, downloads, alerts and websites.
As Jesus spoke of God’s love, Martha was distracted by a news headline about more unrest in the world.
When Jesus spoke of God’s grace, Martha responded to the “ting” of a text message, looking away from Jesus to see who had texted her and what they had said. It might be, Martha told herself, an important message.
Jesus was speaking about turning darkness into light as Martha checked her email for any “alerts” from the various news services to which she subscribed. Something bad might have happened in the world, she told herself, and she needed to know about it.
While Jesus was explaining about the kingdom of God being near, Martha answered the musical ringtone of her cell phone. She had decided not to put the phone on “silent” while Jesus was there because she was afraid of missing any phone call that might require prompt attention.
Her sister, Mary, meanwhile, had left her cellphone in her bedroom. Mary wanted to hear everything Jesus had to say. My, what a blessing it is, she had told herself after Jesus had walked through the doorway, to have the Lord in our home.
The texts and emails and apps and alerts can wait, Mary had decided. They are going nowhere. They will be waiting for me later. I do not need to worry about them now, she told herself.
But Jesus will be leaving us, Mary knew, because the Lord was traveling to many villages, and so I want to hear, yes, she told herself, but also feel everything he has to say.
There was a look of tranquil peace on Mary’s face as she simply sat at the Lord’s feet, drinking in every word, every syllable, as if they were sips of the coolest, purest water from the deepest most refreshing well.
Martha was astonished by her sister’s indifference to everything else going on in the world. Doesn’t she care? Martha asked herself. And doesn’t Jesus care, Martha wondered, that Mary is paying no attention to the horrible headlines that were surely being emailed and texted around the world at that very moment?
“Lord,” Martha asked Jesus, “do you not care that my sister has left me to read all of the texts and emails and website headlines about the world’s troubles? Tell her then to help me.”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Just as we, you and me, can choose the better part.
We can put the “Martha” part of ourselves away at least once each day and allow the “Mary” we also have inside us to lead us to the still waters and green pastures of communion with our Good Shepherd.
We can—indeed, we desperately need to—find time each day to sit at the Lord’s feet, to create quiet time in the morning or the evening to pray and contemplate, to read what Jesus has to say to us in the New Testament but also through our communion with the Holy Spirit. Find a time that fits you best and sit there at the Lord’s feet. Any time will do.
Because Jesus is there, in all of our homes. He has crossed our threshold and wants nothing more than for us be like Mary, just once a day, and put away our cellphones, with their Pandora’s box of distractions and worries. Put away the turmoil in the world and just sit and listen to the Lord with our hearts and our minds and our souls.
Only by fortifying ourselves with the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, do we stand a chance of doing anything to address even one of the world’s many needs.
When, like Mary, we choose the better part, it will not be taken away from us. And it is then that we have the power to share that “better part” more deeply with the corner of the world in which we find ourselves.