The title of this reflection comes from The Four Quartets by the American poet T.S. Eliot.  Midway through the season of Lent—intended I think to be a period of reflection and prayer on the deeper meaning of our faith and the Easter event—I find instead that my mental state resembles more accurately the description Eliot had of modern life.

And each distraction carries its own passport and identification number marked “Priority 1” and stamped in large letters: A.S.A.P.!!!!

At the beginning of this month Karen and I moved from a house in Hoover to Pelham. Packing- moving -moving -unpacking.  Then last week Karen got a “911” call from her father, Dick, (who is 90 years old today) that he was finally ready to concede that he could no longer be the primary caretaker for Karen’s mother, Betty, who has Alzheimer’s. Thus began the search for the appropriate care facility for both her parents here in Birmingham and the logistics involved in selling their home near Fort Morgan on the coast and getting them here as soon as possible. Karen and I will be going down to the coast this weekend to initiate that process. But, because “man (and woman) do not live on crises alone,” Karen and I also have  commitments to our 12 Step group and our faith community who are in midst of their annual fundraiser and benefit concert. These too are important priorities in our lives.

Life presses in on every side and we respond as best we can,  “distracted from distraction by distraction.”

Why would I refer to these events as “distractions?” Because, as Jesus told Martha, who was preoccupied with meal preparations: “there is only one thing necessary.”  And to make this comment even harder to swallow he adds: “your sister Mary (seated at Jesus’ feet) has chosen the better part.”  How irritating! The truth is, we need both parts to make us whole.

On the bottom of my meditation bench is a quotation that reads: “What is the most miraculous of all miracles? That I sit quietly alone.”

And then I remember. There was someone else who lived a life filled with compelling and  competing demands and from time to time in the midst of all the activity and service to others he would say to his friends:  “Let us go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6.31)

What happens to me when I do pause and spend time in mediation is that all the seemingly discordant demands of my life seem to fit into place. Things fall into place. Prayers are answered. Unexpected solutions present themselves seemingly without any effort of my own. There is coherence even in the midst of seeming incoherence. So I need both the effort of Martha and the awareness of Mary to stay centered on “the one thing necessary” – my relationship with God.
-Palmer