Sometimes the scriptures arrest my senses and I can think of nothing else.  So is the case  with Luke 10:38-42.  It is a tale of two sisters, and while I am much more likely to study the Old Testament than the new, this story is becoming one of my favorites.

I tend to focus on Martha, because I am more like Martha.  I’m the worker bee.  I’m always buzzing about trying to get stuff done.  I am always worried about one thing or the other.  I’m always fussing at somebody about something.   Martha and I would  have been friends, if either of us made time to cultivate platonic relationships. (Spoiler alert:  Neither of us would have made the time.)

Mary is the star of this story, even if she has no lines.  She’s the one upsetting the apple cart.  And what is she doing that makes everybody so mad?  In the words of  Bruh man, from the fifth floor, “Nothing, just chilling.”

There is something so revolutionary about seeing a black woman chilling.
— EbonyJanice Moore

It is rare that we see anybody just chilling in our current culture.   Everybody has a side hustle, on top of our regular jobs and our community and civic engagements.  And unfortunately, while self-care has become a buzz-word in many of our circles, in some ways, self-care usually involves us just adding another appointment on our calendars.

The idea of rest as resistance starts with taking things off our agendas, not with adding more things to our to-do lists.  So many of us have no actual idea how to do that.  I know I don’t.

“What does “just chilling” look like for you?  Is it brunch with the besties (one of my personal favorites)?  Is it reading on the beach?   Writing in your poetry notebook?  Dancing in the kitchen?  Whatever it is, you should do that this week!  You should do it today.

Sure, self care can be working out at the gym twice a week, but it can also be lying on your couch eating coffee ice cream.  Spa appointments are great, but so is binge -watching whatever streaming services you’re paying for (or borrowing from a friend).

In our complex and complicated lives,  Mary teaches us that real self-care can be as simple as plopping down on your favorite lounger (or the floor) to hear what the Lord has to say.  Revolution is almost always preceded by revelation.   I am eagerly awaiting both.  Mary shows me that I can get both from a seated position.

Mama Radford

You will never know how much of a crush I had on Heavy D.  And if this video doesn’t make you smile, seek help immediately.

Photocredit: Godisable Jacob