Prophesy to the Breath
Too many phrases stuck out to me this week in the readings for a single blog, so I'll probably write on another one sooner or later (I am behind a few days anyway, having been in Santa Barbara for a fabulous retreat/training!).
"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him."
It would be easy to read of Mary and Martha, and judge Martha as superficial in faith - over-industrious perhaps. We judge Mary as the wise student, sitting attentively with the teacher. But in this story, we are reminded that both Mary and Martha are human.
These characters are even better achretypes of faith for us, because both have moments where they are challenged (Martha by housekeeping, and Mary by grieving), but both have moments that exemplify for us trust and faith, and both remind us it is a process, not an achievment, to be disciples and believers.
Martha says, "but even now." Even now in the midst of death there is life - the source of life. Do we have faith to call Life to speak to death to 'come out!'.
