There’s a lot going on in the world right now. I don’t suppose that’s anything new. Even for people who remember “simpler times” or “better days,” there were moments even then that weren’t so simple and certainly weren’t better for everyone.
Things sure seem bigger now and harder to get away from. We’re more global, there’s more news being reported. That news isn’t always reliable or factual, either, and it’s easier to manipulate the truth today with social media. The more we can connect with technology, the more disconnected we seem to be.
Anxiety, worry, a lack of confidence in ourselves or the world around us, many - and real - are our fears.
So. Happy Thanksgiving.
I don’t mean that to be sarcastic or cynical. A holiday to remind us to be thankful when we can feel overwhelmed with reasons to not be is a great thing. Tie that to harvest time and the beautiful change in season, throw in some great traditions around family and friends, add a turkey or some festive feast on the table and we really got something.
Still, there's lots of people who struggle to find something to be thankful for. And some who won't succeed. Their table might not be full. And for those whose table is, they may find that things to be thankful for come more readily to mind. If they really try.
And, sure, there may be some people who find it easy to be thankful because gratitude comes easily to them. They aren't as anxious and fearful, but readily embrace the world as it comes, looking for the goodness they know is in all life. I know these people exist because I live with one. It's a gift that not many have. It’s the gift of seeing good. Thank goodness they share it.
Jesus knows that so many of us are afraid. He says “don't be afraid" more than anything else in his ministry. He says don’t be anxious, too. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has some words during the famous Sermon on the Mount for those who struggle with fear and anxiety, worry and confidence. He says, "don't worry about your life … look at the birds of the air … consider the lilies, how they grow" (Matt. 6:25-29). If God takes care of these, then you must know that God will take care of you, too. Life is about so much more than just stuff, he says.
Those are very comforting words. Just don’t think that means you don’t have to do anything and you’ll be taken care of. See, the birds are doing what birds do, the lilies, the grass, all the creation around us is doing what it does: it’s engaged in just living, living without the worry of stuff.
All of this "don't worry" business comes after Jesus reminds us that we can't have two masters. Choose what will govern your life, God or stuff (Matt. 6:24). Wealth, riches, money - the King James bible calls it a wonderful word: mammon, the desire for material things.
I don't think that Jesus is saying that having wealth, money or things is inherently bad. But when material things rule our lives, we value all things in that context and our lives become an endless quest to meet a need for more stuff that we can never achieve. We begin to see life in the context of what we don't have, rather than what we do, what we want, rather than need, and what we fear losing, rather than what we're willing to share. The fear of scarcity overwhelms the joy of abundance and we seek to acquire more and protect what we have.
When we choose God, we choose love. We value our selves more than our stuff, and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We choose compassion and care and we share that with others. And when we all share love, we create a world in which all that we need is shared. We feed and care for each other, we nurture confidence and we encourage and inspire creativity and, most important of all, we’re not afraid to engage others in a relationship based in that love.
I know that might feel impossible in today’s world, but I bet Jesus would say "don't worry. That love is already in you. Stuff is not. Don’t be afraid to share that love that's in you." Be thankful for that.
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