Parish Newsletter

​"I have never noticed these details in this icon before."
This was Ursula's comment while we were staring at the icon of resurrection by the choir area. Ursula wood and her friend Lynne were contemplatively trying to draw two icons of our parish windows while a group of us were working hard to ensure the churchyard was ready for “the history walk” on Sunday afternoon. This left me wondering how often I glanced at this icon but failed to see it. How could this be possible? What other vital things in life did I get used to glancing at them without really seeing them? Why this is such a common experience among us humans (maybe not all of us!)? One possible answer is because “we are busy” - to be more precise, we are busy managing our anxiety.
 
Whether we like it or not, we live in an anxious time, and if they call the 20th century the age of anxiety, I wonder what should we call our recent three years! It is primarily hidden and silent anxiety that most of us deal with as we watch what is happening around us. Sometimes without noticing, such anxiety steals too much of our energy to see things and be attentive to relationships around us. it blocks
our awareness of God and the world because it distracts our attention. 
 
This Sunday's gospel is about Martha & Mary's story; we see Mary at the feet of Christ, attentively listening to him, but she seems unproductive. While Martha, in her zeal to welcome Jesus into her house, is so lost, distracted and driven away mentally in activity. She completely lost sight of Jesus. Her unhospitable attitude has less to do with workload and more to do with internal anxiety. While she called Jesus "Lord", she laboured to become the landlord of her own being, her own plan, instead of listening to him about his plan. 
The true gospel is good news that Christ has already accomplished our salvation; therefore, be calm, trust him and follow him as a disciple in what he has already accomplished. Then Christ will be our primary need to break free from our anxiety. While the false gospel - the gospel of self-reliance - is bad news because it is always about me and what I can accomplish, leading to more stress.
 
May the Lord, through the power of his spirit, continue to grow us in his freedom where we not only look but see, not only hear but listen. So we become His eyes and ears to our community.