“Martha welcomed Jesus. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Jesus and Mary have chosen the better part and are present to each other, as friends – as people across all walks of life are choosing the better part and are being present to each other, as friends, for example, men and women, Black and white, people born on this territory and people born elsewhere. Neither Jesus nor Mary express any need to be served by Martha as hostess – as none of us express any need to be served by MAGA as patriots. Martha complains she is “burdened with much serving” as hostess yet Martha’s decision to serve as hostess is her own – as MAGA complains they are ‘burdened with much serving’ as patriots yet MAGA’s decision to serve as patriots is their own. The decision both have made cause the problem about which they are both complaining. In these cases, complainers gain attention, vent frustration, and, as well, divert themselves from attending to the truth, specifically the truth of their own errant decisions and actions. Instead, they both point their finger outwards. Their joint complaint is that ‘Others are picking on me,’ ‘I am a victim. With MAGA, wealthy white men like Trump, Vance, and their Tech Bro-caster cohort, are attempting to invert reality. They are the perpetrators of inflicted suffering yet claim to be victims of inflicted suffering. They coerce us not to feel the pain of immigrants or women or Natives or Blacks or sexually trafficked minors. Instead, feel their pain, the pain of wealthy white men – who are maligned, misunderstood, aggrieved. What do we do about inflicted suffering when its perpetrators claim to be its victims? One thing we can do is make it known that the perpetrators always coerces us to the worst part – to the same suggested response – vengeance. At the core of the problem of the perpetrator as victim scenario, is the perpetrator continues making enemies of other people. Thus, the perpetrator continues to politically, financially, and theologically inflict suffering on people they make into enemies – the same enemies; immigrants, women, Natives, Blacks, sexually trafficked minors. Those who are made victims – meaning the ruler class sacrifices the lives of the victims on their altars of status, greed, and sanctity – rarely respond with vengeance. Thus, we can also make it known that victims of inflicted suffering will always inspire us to the better part – to the same suggested response – healing.
“It is clear that no one is going to return to the imprisoned dissident his youth; to the young woman who has been raped her innocence; to the person who has been tortured his or her integrity. Nobody is going to return the dead and the disappeared to their families. What can and must be publicly restored [are] the victims’ names and their dignity, through a formal recognition of the injustice of what has occurred, and, wherever possible, material reparation… Those who clamor for social reparation are not asking for vengeance. Nor are they blindly adding difficulties to a historical process that is already by no means easy. On the contrary, they are promoting the personal and social viability of a new society, truly democratic.” (Ignacio Martin-Baro)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, keep us wise when we are targeted for manipulation.
Question: What is the better part to which I am being called?