Martha and Mary
Both in the retreat-time and in these week of volunteering in a refugio, I have thought often about Mary and Martha, and Jesus' clear preference for the via negativa of Mary, rather than the activity of Martha. Perhaps I am a little more confused about the matter, have seen the urgency - if you will - of the rather mundance, even having felt closer to saints and the Holy through some of these activities: preparing beds, washing laundry, feeding, cleaning up after pilgrims leave. I think perhaps what Jesus was saying, and this is a shift for me from prior thinking, was not that the activity of Martha was in and of itself bad: Jesus himself did a lot to take care of the physical needs of people, like feeding, providing wine from water, healing and restoring sight. He even took time from his preaching to feed a hungry crowd!
I think what Jesus is saying is be discerning. Perhaps, coming from an eschatological perspective, he is also saying ´Be prepared!´
While attention to activity can be a form of love, it can be a form of avoidance, or even self-serving. Be discerning - when do I need to get chores done (if we are watching because we do not know the hour, we will have our lamps trimmed and burning...)? For some pilgrims, it may be a healing touch is needed, for others, perhaps a listening ear.
C & L, my refugio permenants, are normally in the kitchen once pilgrims arrive, preparing dinner. And isn´t that just what they need after a long day of walking uphill? Afterwards, pilgrims are heading to bed, and need less. But sometimes they need a listening ear - and being in the kitchen, that is impossible for them (and often for me).
Surely there is a way to get the chores done, and also be available to folks who really need a listening ear. I´ve often said that ministry takes two, it takes companionship (the disciples were sent in pairs). Perhaps it takes three. Regardless, there are a lot of chores to get done, and most pilgrims need the physical attention. How do we meet the need of the occasional pilgrim who needs just to talk - who is carrying a problem?
C & L have a book pilgrims can write in, and most write a line or two of thanks. They always get glowing remarks for their hospitality, and since I am usually in the kitchen, my presence is a little less obvious. The few times I have been mentioned by name, I have noticed, are the folks with whom I spent a little time visiting before or after dinner, who needed someone to pay a little attention to them, and hear their story. I think this makes me a little more uncomfortable, as I try to navigate a world obsessed with details and activity, while being able to take the time needed to do a little more. At what cost will I let details go in order to be a listening ear?
