I remember chatting with some friends once as we were walking down the street, my eye was drawn to a shop window… and thus the deep conversations – maybe about the meaning of life – cut off mid-sentence as I blurted “OOOH! A BOOK SALE!”
It happens. The distraction was there – like a shiny object to a magpie.
And I know I’m not the only one that’s happened too. There’s a jokey meme floating around that says:
I started to sort laundry, noticed a missing button so went to the spare room for needle and thread – and saw the layer of dust on the shelf, so went for the cloth, and then the radio played a song that made me think of that trip in the 90’s …and that’s why 6 hours later I’m sorting photographs while the laundry hasn’t been touched.
We all get distracted. It can happen to the best of us.
In today’s scriptures, even Martha is distracted.
And when Jesus points this out to her, he does it in a very normal, kindly way.
He’s not putting her down for doing her work – for her work still needs to be done!
But she is distracted. TOO distracted to be fully present.
Her TO DO list loomed.
The shiny objects flitted past.
The brain was going in too many directions and too quickly to focus on Jesus.
It happens.
And it’s helpful for us to remember that Martha is not saying that she’s objecting to work:
The opposite is true, in fact.
She’s asking for Mary to help her with the work so that she too can then focus on Jesus.
But for that moment: she’s missing out.
She’s lacking a mindfulness in the moment.
And we can put ourselves into that position – times when we have struggled to be fully mindful;
Not getting caught up on what was, or what will be:
But the NOW.
And being in the NOW means having the presence of mind to be fully present in mind – despite the distractions.
Which gives us a great opportunity to consider our lives.
So what are our distractions?
What is taking our focus away from Jesus?
This becomes a deep question for summer pondering – as the distractions could be anything.
As one who walks with dogs – distractions happen. The pups certainly go wherever the nose
Watching a bee flit from flower to flower is fascinating and can catch our attention:
A phone ringing when we’re putting away the groceries may result in our car keys stowed in the fridge.
The thing about this – those are harmless distractions: things that temporarily took our focus elsewhere - No harm done.
Yet, what happens when the distraction is intentional?
When we ourselves take our focus away from Jesus?
Or if the world is overwhelming and our focus has been taken away from Jesus?
Or if someone else is wanting us to be distracted from our ministry and faithfulness?
It happens. Sadly, we know that it happens.
When we dwell in our anger or hurt and blame God, resulting in a broken relationship with the divine. We turn away from the source of healing, rather than seeking out ways to find health.
Or news stations that broadcast the same message over and over so our brains perceive multiple sensationalisms of the singular reality – and our stress levels increase.
Or technology that keeps us engaged, so that we continue to use that particular technology – like our social media accounts that pop up adverts to entice us, or streaming devices that want us to binge-watch; or even the basics like toys that make a noise or light if they’ve been left unplayed with for 10 minutes – to intentionally draw the user back.
Or: Folks who constantly interrupt with a barrage of questions, never fully waiting for an answer. Their intention to distract could be to avoid a necessary conversation, or to serve their own sense of entitlement and importance, or to prevent change that they personally disagree with.
Distractions can be intentional. And when they are, it’s a challenge. Because they are destabilising. And disorienting.
And it’s easy to get caught up in the spin.
Which is exactly what these people or stations or companies want. Because the more destabilised they make us, the more they seem to offer stability.
And the cycle continues.
BUT:
Jesus calls us back. We are always called back.
To re-focus; to re-stabilise, to re-ground ourselves in that way of truth and life that comes from God alone.
Jesus calls us back, to remember that there is need for only one thing.
And that is our role in the church of God.
We are called to listen to Jesus;
To put ourselves second.
To put the busy-ness of the world after that.
To acknowledge the distractions in our lives – let’s face it, we’re always going to have them. But we can choose to be intentional and prayerful about the ones that catch us up.
Because there will always be tempests. Storms brewing. Disasters occurring, tensions increasing, to-do lists waiting to be done.
And through it all, Jesus waits for us.
Patiently. Calmly. Encouragingly.
Waiting for us to get out of the distraction and to see his presence in the here and the now;
Waiting for us to recognise when our actions are distractions – and adjust accordingly.
Waiting for us to come home.
And sit at the feet of Jesus: and listen.
And so we are called to avoid life’s distractions…
It’s the purpose of the four prophesies that Amos receives: to avoid the famine of God’s word – instead to listen – to pay attention – to dwell in the comfort of God’s eternal promises. Because if we are distracted from what nourishes us, we suffer: the body without good food struggles; the mind without engagement withers, the Spirit without God: well, it darkens and distracts from the fullness of life in the Kingdom.
It’s the intention of the letter to the Colossians, to come together with a common focus on Christ: to support and uphold the building up of community rather than the bickering and egotistical posturing that the community was known for. It may feel good and powerful to be popular in saying mean things, but this is not the way of God; the humble way where the health and well-being of the community is more important than the power of the ego.
It’s the opportunity that we’re all being offered today, and every day.
To gather as the people of God – welcoming every guest, honouring everyone’s contribution, while accepting (as Martha did) that different people have different roles, and they may not be what they expected. And that our roles may change from time to time, as we are both Mary and Martha in the world.
And, the opportunity is to keep focus: with ourselves and with one another, so that together we can be finding new ways to listen to how God is calling us forward: as God is *always*calling all of us forward.
Then, the opportunity to live into the reality of God’s one true thing – which will never be taken away from us. For undistracted, at the feet of Jesus; we find our home.
Amen.
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