We own a banana hammock. A humble but noble banana hammock. Henry. Henry the Banana Hammock. Henry holds fruit. Usually, he holds bananas. Sometimes avocados, and sometimes he’s been known to hold an apple or few. Never watermelons, because Henry wasn’t made to hold watermelons. I would never expect the banana hammock to hold a watermelon.
My point being…
It is amazing the pressure that people can often place on themselves, relationally and spiritually. I like what Rich Mullins once said:
Some of us are so afraid that God’s not going to look at us. So we’re out there doing all sorts of things to get God to take notice, but folks, God notices you. The fact is, He can’t take His eyes off of you. However badly you think of yourself, God is crazy about you. God is in love with you. Some of us even fear that someday we’ll do something so bad that He won’t notice you anymore. Well, let me tell you, God loves us completely. And He knew us at our worst before He ever began to love us at all. And in the love of God, there are no degrees, there is only love.
Beyond (or underneath) our ambitions and goals God sees us for the us He created us to be, and that’s the us that He wants. Yet we still try to convince ourselves, as we wander around as Marthas in the kitchen, that our job is to make Jesus the best meal of which we can think. We assume that what He wants from us is our best ‘doing,’ when all He wants is our best ‘being.’ In reality, the ‘greatest thing’ that Mary was engaged in wasn’t doing stuff, but instead sitting at Jesus’ feet (being) (Luke 10:38-42). It’s not a talent contest, but instead, a being-yourself-proficiency. *Then there is the argument: “well, the world needs Marthas – they’re the doers!” That argument misses the point. The point is not about doing/not doing, but priorities. Martha was getting bent out of shape and anxious. “Jesus, tell her to help – don’t you care?” is the plea, to which Jesus answered, but she’s doing the ‘most important thing!’ He wasn’t being cruel. He wasn’t picking on Martha. I’m sure that if Jesus asked Martha or Mary to make Him a sandwich, they would have, but Jesus didn’t ask. It echoes the simplicity of Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus is pointing out the simplicity of properly placed priorities.
I thought this film short that someone made is really good. That made me think of the impact of simplicity and just being yourself.
It seems that returning to one’s first-love in Christ, and the cross, and those things that originally opened our eyes to the Gospel is so crucial. As western humans, we have this sensationalism mindset that we have to continually ‘top’ ourselves (or others) in our devotion to the Lord. As if that will make God notice us (as Mullins pointed out). When the reality is that God simply loves you for you. Not what you can do, or what your ambitions are. So, Henry the Banana Hammock is an object lesson for us all. A hero if you will. Simply being you is all that is expected. Seek first His kingdom…