Monday, October 30, 2006

Monday's Meditation

"Teach us to care and not to care." - T.S. Elliot

"I stopped a war by drinking a cup of green tea." - Zen Buddhist saying

"'Martha, Martha,'" Jesus answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'"
- Luke 10:41


I've been captivated lately by a talk Peter Kreeft gave at the University of Georgia called "The One Thing Needed" (you can listen to this one on your i-Pod or MP3 player). Kreeft's talk relies heavily upon the three quotes above and is given within the context of impacting the culture for Christ, something I think that the contributors here at Page 132 are interested in doing.

I could recount the entire lecture for you, but instead, let me summarize it by saying this: If we are going to be tools by which the Father answers the prayer, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven," we must get certain things straight. Christ did not come primarily to transform the social orders of the Earth, nor did he simply come to provide a way by which to go to heaven. Christ came to draw humanity into a covenant relationship with his Father.

And it is this covenant relationship that is the "one thing needed," the "cup of green tea" to stop the war. Please, don't think me a simpleton. I am as tempted as any by the life style of Martha; to run here and there doing things for God, as though needs me to do them or is remotely impressed by my attempts. But, it is Christ himself who tells us that "Mary has chosen what is better."

If we, as the body of Christ, are to be the tools by which God brings about his Kingdom, we must follow the model of Mary and sit at our Lord's feet in silence, allowing his words to transform us, his blood to cleanse us, and his Spirit to send us into the day. To quote Kreeft, "If we can do the contemplation of Mary, then we can do the work of Martha in the spirit of Mary instead of the spirit of Martha."

Lord Jesus, meet us in the silence and speak to us as we sit at your feet. We are but your humble servants, week and needy. Open the eyes of our hearts to your glorious inheritance, the abundance of your grace, and your great love for us, and as we sit at your feet listening to your voice, shape us into the sort of people who hear your commands and obey them with a joyful heart.

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