Isn't it interesting that this Scripture quote urges us to use our hearts instead of our minds (our "understanding") to trust in God? Our minds are necessary, but they can't do everything. The mind's "job" is to use reason to collect information and "get the facts straight" to aid with understanding and organizing. But the mind's way of understanding reality is only one way of knowing that our selves can use, and in itself, its information can be faulty. Our minds can be obsessive, judgmental, and over-controlling. Our minds seek truth, but they can also create lies. Our minds can both connect us with others and also separate us from others. Our minds like to think, but they also need to listen to the other, different ways of knowing used by our senses, our emotions, our hearts, and our souls. "Yes, the mind can tell left from right, but it cannot perceive invisible things such as love, eternity, fear, wholeness, mystery, or the Divine." (Fr. Richard Rohr.) When we use our various ways of knowing and integrate everything our whole self teaches us, we can begin to become wise. Wisdom is not the mere gathering of facts and information. Wisdom is that different way of seeing and knowing that our whole self teaches us so we are ready to deeply, love, understand, and trust God in the reality of the present moment. Jesus, when he was Martha, Mary, and Lazarus' house guest, carefully observed a distracted Martha flying around the house, anxiously organizing the cooking and serving for her honored guests. Jesus gently took Martha aside and told her "Martha, Martha, you worry about the ten thousand things. So few are needed. Indeed, only one." Martha was doing everything right except for the one necessary thing: she was too "inside her head" and all its organizing to listen to her heart and soul and truly be present to either herself or her guests. Martha was obsessing so much that she didn't comprehend her own feelings of resentment, her need to control, maybe even her "martyr complex." Martha was too obsessed with facts and getting things done to relax, listen, love, and be present to God, Who was present in that very moment in Jesus! Teaching religion to people can sometimes seem like getting the students to accumulate a vast amount of knowledge and information. But here Jesus is challenging Martha to understand that being present to ourselves and others with our whole selves in the present moment is the most important thing to understand and practice. to be fully present to what is going on in our lives and to be present to God within our experiences. Our minds can discern logic and consistency, but they can't perceive love, eternity, fear, wholeness, Mystery, or the Divine. Martha was very distracted on the day she was preparing supper for Jesus and his friends. So distracted that she was probably "trapped in her head" and not really present - to either her guests or herself. She was rushing around, thinking about organizing: cooking, setting up, serving - probably not even aware of how she was obsessing and feeling resentful inside, maybe even developing a "martyr complex" out of a need to be needed. I can understand this - trying to do everything when you have company, and getting so involved with "things" - cooking, serving, straightening up - that sometimes I don't spend enough time with my guests, am not present in a welcoming, loving, healing way. In Martha's case, she was literally not present to herself, to her guests, and to God's Presence in Jesus who sat at her table, ready to give himself to her if she would only slow down and just Be. But - if God dwells within all - then we also are not present to the God Within others if we are so distracted and busy in experiences with others. | How are we present to others in the reality of the present moment? Are we distracted, thinking about the next item on our agenda, our "to do" list? Are we hustling about, accomplishing things, instead of looking at the needs of the person in front of us? Are we a "healing presence" or a "just the facts, Ma'am" presence? Because Jesus waits for us in every situation. "If you are present, you will eventually and always experience the Presence," says Fr. Rohr. Mother Teresa understood the necessity of being present every moment. She said "There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible." And if we truly turn off our always chattering-and-nattering minds and wait in loving silence, quietly present to our hidden God, God will come to us. In the deep silence of mutually shared love, we will know God ever more and more fully, trust God in spite of the obsessions and distractions our minds can seek to foist on us. Then, as we surrender to this loving trust, we free God to direct our ways. And God, present to us, will direct our ways as beautifully as possible. |
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