One thing I do... (updated)

Luke 10, 28-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Lord, teach me the sort of kindness that takes cues from other people's needs, not from my own plans.

(from Sacred Space, for today, Sunday, July 22, 2007)

I have on my bathroom wall a print of a Leonardo Da Vinci Michelangelo sketch. On it, is a quote from the master: "I am still learning." It is such a comfort to me, and such a testament to the life Leonardo Da Vinci Michelangelo lived--always learning. I admit I know far less of this man than I should, but I do know this--he experimented with everything.

(I am always learning, too, to read what the name is of people's quotes that people my bathroom walls...)

So I am learning to "take cues from other people's needs, not from my own plans." Yesterday morning, instead of going in at 9, when I could have, I went in at 10, as I had requested to come in later because I was planning on attending the HP party, which in the end I did not do. I moved slowly about my morning, which was nice, for once, to just relax. I finished watching "Bruce Almighty," which if anything is a movie about "tak[ing] cues from other people's needs, not from my own plans." I had heard about "Bruce Almighty," that one of the things Jim Carrey's character did as "God" was to make his girlfriend's boobs bigger. From this, I thought, not the movie for me. But Monday, in my distress over "what is going on, am I on the right path in my life, etc, etc" and being at the chiropractor's office way too long, I had a heart to heart with the receptionist, who said "BA" changed the life of her husband and converted him to Christianity. Now that is a testimony I'll hear. Now I wanted to see this movie. Since "Evan Almighty" is currently in the theatres, there are all kinds of interviews with the director, who (I didn't know this) also directed "Liar, Liar," one of my favorite films. He sees laughter as a ministry and doesn't care who his audience is or if they take a bigger message from his movies. He does not see himself as a Christian director or one who makes religious films. Rather, he is a director who makes funny films, and he happens to be a Christian, so that oozes out. The man quoted Madeleine L'Engle!!

Madeleine L'Engle talks about this in her book Walking on Water—that you would think it would be our Christianity that affects our art, but it's more like our art affects our Christianity. We're storytellers, and by engaging in stories, you become more aware of the human condition, of the journey, of the challenges. And that affects our faith. So we don't target faith-based audiences, but we do think the faith-based audience will enjoy this film. (Tom Shadyac, in "Make 'em laugh," Christianity Today, 6/19/07)

Now, I adore ML'E, but if you're gonna be quoting her, by all means, quote my favorite of her non-fiction works, Walking on Water, a book that was given to me as I was learning what it meant to be a Christian, in my senior year of high school/freshman year of college. That art is bigger than me, that all good art is Christian, even if the artist is not, because art is about creation, and the great artist realizes that and has a connection to the divine.

Can it really be 5:09 am?

Yes, yes it is. Yikes. This insomnia has got to go!!

One of the things I love about this medium (blogging) is that I can do what I want, to a degree. I can break out of a post about today's lectionary and write about current movies and then quote a poem. No one is grading me on this, no one is paying me to stay on one topic.

So I'll end with this and then go do something about the gnawing that is in my stomach.

He drew a
circle that
shut me out--
Heretic, rebel,
a thing to
flout.
But Love and I
had the wit to
win
We drew a
circle that
took him in!

"Outwitted" by Edwin Markham.

I think I am the one drawing circles these days. Afraid that I will be shut out, I draw a circle that I can stand in alone. But again and again, people reach out to me, saying, come, be in the wider circle. For this I am grateful, and pleasantly surprised. I am afraid of being abandoned, and time and again, people break into my life and force me to see that they are not going away. Thank you, if you are one of those people.

*************

Happy Sunday. May your day be restful.

I, for my part, will be working my way through Harry Potter #7. I'm about 1/3 through. I've been enjoying this delicious weather and I intend to sit on the front porch with some iced tea and enjoy it some more.