Sunday, February 26, 2012

Joanna, Wife of Chuza

I have a better idea where I want to go with her today. She probably witnessed the striptease that ended John the Baptist, and what a contrast that is with her participation in the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1-3. She would even have been considered as one of the potential replacements for Judas as one of the twelve apostles, if they had considered any women. I can only imagine how different the Catholic Church and the Christian faith might have been if it had been her name drawn.

I think I want to structure the speech around the contrast of three scenes - in Herod's palace where she did not dare speak for John, did not dare speak and felt herself driven mad with it (possession and madness being two sides of the same coin), when she tried to tell everyone about Jesus's resurrection and was disbelieved, and then finally, her Speaking after the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

What I don't know quite how to work in is her possible relationship (granddaughter) to Theophilus for whom the two books by Luke were ostensibly written. It's a fascinating connection, but I'll have to toss in around in my mind for awhile before I know quite how to work it in.

"For a moment, I believed He met my eyes alone. Foolishness, I know, there were so many of us there. Perhaps we all felt that way. But I could not help thinking that His next words were for me - and perhaps for Peter. An explanation of why I had not had the courage to speak, and why they had not believed me when I had the courage to speak. He said, 'John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be Baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

The wind that came from heaven was deafening. The flame was blinding. It burned away everything that had held back my voice. I could no longer see or hear anything but the still, quiet voice in my heart. I scarcely knew when it filled my throat and poured from my lips and when I remained silent, transfixed with the love of God coursing through me as I had never known. Not even when I saw my Teacher on the cross.

For all the words I did not say in that court, the words that would not have been heard by the decadent of Rome, the lustful old men gawking at a young woman besides whose bare flesh a prophet's life was nothing. For all the words I could not keep straight to announce the miracle of salvation that could not break through the grief and desolation of my fellow, my own doubts sticking my words to my throat. For all the words I never said to convince others to follow us along our way in turn. All the words that did not draw Chuza along with me away from Herod's house, along the way of the Nazarene I followed [need to check on this]. For all the words I had ever held back or stumbled over, now I spoke.

They say I spoke in every language at once. They say I spoke so well every man that passed stopped to listen and those too far away to see me heard just as clearly and never guessed it was a woman that spoke. They say other women took up my cry, that they spoke in their turn, but all I knew was that the deafening wind whipped around them, and the blinding flame spread. They say every woman who heard me was converted. This must be rubbish, but I hope that they all, at least, began to speak."