A Mary Mind

I came across a poem the other day that was on a plaque in my mother's kitchen. It starts out "Lord of all pots and pans and things..." and this first line was all I could ever remember. Because of the wonders of the Internet, I found the entire prayer and was struck by this verse: "Although I must have Martha's hands, I have a Mary mind." St. James couldn't have said it better.

So much of the argument between the Catholic and Protestant churches has centered around the faith/works debate. How are we justified? The Letter of James chapter 2 maintains that we show our faith through our works. St. Paul asserts in Romans 8 - and many other places - that we are justified by faith apart from the law. I have come to conclude that we will never know until our death and that, in actuality, there is no difference. As Romans says later in chapter 14, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's and our lives should reflect that truth. Both Martha and Mary did that.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus while Martha was busy with the serving. Two things seems clear: Mary had the courage to do what was culturally uncommon and she was interested in what Jesus was teaching. So, the Mary mind is characterized by a lack of attachment to convention and an openness to a new understanding of God's relationship with humanity.

In creating a distinction between Martha and Mary, however, we do Martha's hands a disservice. She was not left out of the spiritual picture. When Jesus went to see the sisters after their brother Lazarus died, it is Martha who is on record as saying "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the One who is to come into the world." It is Martha who says with faith, "Even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask." What an extraordinary statement. When Martha defies the evidence of her senses and the teachings of her rabbis and looks to Jesus to make a different reality for her, she exhibits the same courage and openness that Mary did. She had a Mary mind.

So can we.