Monday in Holy Week

The gospel this day is from John--that long-winded, over-theological gospel--and it is about Lazarus, newly risen from the dead, having a meal with Jesus and Lazarus' sister using up a pay-day's worth of costly oil to anoint his feet and then, if you get into sensual imagery in the Bible, drying his feet with what must have been her long, luxurious black hair.

If you are a man, just admit it, own up to it--and if you are a woman, ask a man who will tell you the truth (if you can find one...)--a woman pouring oil on a man's feet and wiping it away with her hair...Lordy, Lordy, how erotic can you get?

I'm rather fascinated by how negative the Christian Church is about eroticism. I can explain, since I am terribly over-educated, by tracing Christianity through the centuries, but that doesn't explain why we Christians have missed the boat in that regard. But that's another posting, this one is about the story of today's Gospel.

Besides Mary (NOT Magdalene...that's a subject for many blogs!!!) it is interesting that the once dead Lazarus is at the dinner and attracts most of the crowd. Lazarus (God bless him) gets to die twice. What an honor in an ironic way. Once you've been dead, what would you want for dinner? God knows, literally.

Judas, who gets a bad rap, I think, is depicted by John as a thief who is worried about why Mary spent so much money on the oil rather than putting it into the common purse. "Follow the money" is good advice to investigative reporters and folks who want to keep things straight. Someone should have been Judas when Wall Street was socking away millions while people lost their homes. But it is still a good idea to 'follow the money'.

Mary spent the money for oil to be extravagant and outrageous in love and holiness.

Would that all money was for love and holiness. The economic crisis would disappear, it seems to me. Money and the ironic, all at once. Plus life beyond death. An amazing combination of astonishingly important stuff.

You go figure it out while I try to.

Happy Holy Monday.