When the House Next Door Whistles at You

I realized the other morning that my neighbor has a security system that when activated, when it detects motion—it whistles at you.

And it’s not just any whistle—it’s a “hey, look over here,” whistle.  It’s meant to grab your attention.  Specifically, it wants you to turn and look to see where the whistle came from, because when you do, when you see the camera, that’s when it can get a clear picture of your face.

It’s very clever and more than a little creepy.

So, what is trying to grab your attention these days?

Of course, we live in a world where everything is constantly seeking our attention, so our list might be a little long.

Some things may only steal our attention for a second or two like the ubiquitous ads that populate our social media feeds.  Recently a friend started posting screenshots of some of things these ads have tried to sell her like a hat that looks like a lampshade and a skirt that looks like a cheese grater.  I myself have been shown ads for a couch modeled after a crab.  All of which makes me worry about the mental health of these algorithms and AI programs.  The craziness of the human race may be just too much for it to manage.

But even a second or two of an advertisement can really add up to minutes and hours of our day.

And so most of the day, we spend our time trying to manage the flow of things vying for our attention, trying to discern what’s important and what’s not, what we have the energy for and what is just going to zap our energy with nothing gained. 

It takes a great deal of discernment.

Where do we even start?

Today’s reading from Mark 14:1-11 should be a familiar story.  Jesus and the disciples are in Bethany, when a woman (who is unnamed in these verses but who we know to be Mary of Bethany) breaks open a jar of nard and anoints Jesus with it.  Judas is outraged.  What a waste of money!  Could not the ointment have been sold and the money given to the poor?

Now, we can question Judas’s motivations for making this argument, but Jesus doesn’t call him out.  Instead, Jesus says something that I have always found a bit perplexing.  He says, “For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.”

I find it perplexing because that’s not how I would expect Jesus to answer, certainly not the Jesus who is all about sacrifice and humility.  Why didn’t Jesus stop Mary?  Why didn’t He say, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up Mary.  Let’s not waste this on me.  Let’s sell it and give the money to the poor.”  Isn’t that exactly the message He gave to the young rich man?  How do I get into Heaven, Lord?  Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor.

But, instead, Jesus allows Mary to break open the jar and pour it over His head.

Why?

Because time with God, time with Jesus, is never a waste.

And orienting ourselves to God, turning to Him, helps us be the person who can help the poor, the person who can discern through all the chaos of life where they can do the most good.

Mary of Bethany wasted nothing in that moment.

Every morning, I have been taking a short walk around the neighborhood, generally right around sunrise.  I take my camera with me and in a bit of contemplative photography, use the camera to help me focus on the small things, on the places where we might overlook God’s presence.

Lately, that walk has been taking me right past my neighbor’s house … hence the whistling security camera, but I don’t let that deter me or distract me.  I head over to the house next door to the house, the house around the corner.  It is overgrown and wild.  There is a “no trespassing” sign, but I can’t imagine how anyone lives there because I can see no clear path to any door.

But the front yard has flowering life that is spilling onto the sidewalk.  Zinnias and sunflowers and other plants that I don’t know the names of yet, but I will learn.  This yard is where I have found the sleeping bumblebees that use flower petals for pillows.  It’s been too cold this week and so I haven’t found any bees, but it doesn’t stop me from looking because I know God is there.

I start my day—as you know—with chocolate, first thing, as soon as I wake up.  But then, I move to God.  This is how I must start my day if I have any hope of getting through the day and not being overwhelmed by the things that demand our attention, by all the whistling security cameras and such.

No time with God is a waste.

Amen.