Mary Magdalene as example

Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,

Tomorrow (the 22nd) is the Feast day of Mary Magdalene. Mary is a favorite of mine - often misconstrued, or misunderstood - Mary is a fantastic figure. She is the first apostle - meaning that she is the very first person Jesus sees after the resurrection - and when Jesus sends her out with the good news to tell the disciples that she has seen the Lord, he makes her the first apostle (apostle literally means one who is sent). We know from scripture and tradition that she plays a big role in the community of disciples before Jesus makes his way to the cross. And perhaps an even bigger role after the resurrection - and so much of that has been lost because of the way the church framed the ministry of women in the first century. So, there are pieces of her story we may never know.

What we do know is that she loved Jesus. She was close to Jesus. And he returned her love, appearing to her first in the garden after the resurrection. She stayed with him while he was on the cross. While so many ran away, she was fearless and faithful. Perhaps this is because Jesus "cleansed" her of "seven demons." (Send me a note if you want to talk about what that (might have) meant!) She was loyal. She was present. She was unwilling to leave him. She was grateful for his presence in her life. And she was given a place in the community, a place in the story, a role in the Jesus movement.

Her legend is deep and wide. For generations, the church accused her of things that we know from scripture aren't true. Instead, tradition tell us she was practical, determined, unyielding. And what we see in scripture is that her love for Jesus was real. It was visible to others. It changed people's minds. It changed the world around her.

All of us struggle at one point or another, in one season or another, with the false projections others put on us. With the ways our actions or intentions are misconstrued. With the feeling that someone missed us - or missed what we were trying to do. Sometimes, we need to be mindful of intent and impact and own that what we wanted to do or say isn't quite what happened. And, even with our best efforts, there are times when our story gets lost, when our ideas don't translate, when someone "gets us wrong". Mary would know this feeling well - she was misrepresented by the church for generations. It's only recently that we have begun to reclaim her as a strong figure of faith. So, if Mary's example can teach us anything, it's just to...keep doing what we can do. Keep showing up. Keep being present. Keep being kind. Keep insisting on the right thing, on the good thing, on the love of God in Jesus Christ. And God, who looks on the heart, will know the truth, and at the right time, will reveal the truth.

I wonder...where are the places in your life where there's a lack of translation, understanding, or communication? Not everything can be fixed, but we can choose who we are in the midst of what is broken. Are we people of peace and justice and love? Are we people who insist on hope and kindness? Do we try, as far as it depends on us, to be fearless and faithful for the sake of Jesus? Where is Jesus calling you to stay with him, to be with him, even as others leave him behind?

Even though it's summer, there are plenty of opportunities in our life and worship for you to explore what this means in your life this week, this month, this moment. Join us. Join us on this journey as we seek to follow Jesus into the work of love. As always, please be in touch if there's anything I can do for you. I hope to see you on Sunday, and until then, I pray God's blessing upon you and all those you love.

Faithfully,

--Marissa +