Trek Day Seven

one thing needed
"...he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home..." - from Luke 10:38-42

I have seen many funny memes about the state of order and cleanliness in our homes in the last six weeks. There's the cartoon of a priest filming worship, with an icon behind him for the video's backdrop. On the other side of the camera, socks and underwear are draped on ceiling fan blades, with general disarray throughout the room. The caption says, "Father Daniel carves out a holy space to prepare his flock for worship." Another post says, "One thing that Covid 19 has taught me is, lack of time at home to clean is NOT why my house is always a mess." Still another reads, "I finally realized I only straighten up when people are coming over. This isn't going to end well."

Today's scripture reflection is from that familiar Gospel story about Jesus dining at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They know each other well. He is a frequent guest. In the story, Mary finds a place on the floor among the other disciples and participates in the teaching conversation. She is clearly hungry for more time face to face with her good friend, and hungry to know more about the nature of God's Kingdom and her part in ushering it into being. Based on gender role expectations, it went without saying that Lazarus was sitting down, too. Martha, on the other hand, was doing everything required to get a meal ready for all of them. She became resentful of her sister's absence. Luke says, "... Martha was distracted by her many tasks..."

On a usual day, with no one coming over, I easily fall into Mary's position of sitting down and settling in to listen, to read, to write, to pray. But when guests are expected, I am a Martha, wanting to spit-shine the faucets (not with real spit, that would be  gross and a real no-no these days), re-shelve stacks of books, haul totes of fabric back down to the craft room, and vacuum up the pet hair that stealthily accumulates while we sleep. Shortly after all my children moved out, they each independently sent me this video the first time they saw it: Company Is Coming. Given that it has had close to 13 million views, I'm guessing their childhood experience of mother-insanity anticipating a night of "relaxed hospitality with friends" … was not unique to our home.

Our questions for today ask us to reconsider how we prepare to welcome friends and strangers into our homes. Now, while we are sheltering at home without them, is a good time to reevaluate how we open back up our life together.

Questions for Today

When have I been received into someone's home or living space with great hospitality?

What did they do to make me feel welcome?

Who makes me feel most at ease in is or her presence?

How does he or she make me feel at ease?