What Do Birds Know? Matthew 6:25-33 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
There is a classic children's book, called “Where the Wild Things Are.” “Where the Wild Things Are” is an imaginary place where the fears of children live. But it is a place where a child is put in charge of his own fears- where he can rule over them instead of being controlled by them.
Have you ever talked to children of 2012 about their fears? I had a chance to meet with a group of children who were between 8 and 12 years old recently and I asked them what things they are afraid of. Would you like to know what some of them are? The kids are worried about global warming; some were under the impression that as soon as the ice caps melt, there will be a great flood, and we will have to go and live on Mt. Everest, because that’s high ground. Some were worried about the Mayan Calendar theory that the world will end in just a few days. Some are worried about not being able to get a job when they get older, some worry that they may have to go to war. They worry about the sun burning out… and I’m saying all of these without even a smile because these are the source of real stress for kids.
Couple with those fears, the everyday anxiety that comes from school; peer pressure, pressure to compete and perform in all areas of their life- to begin building a resume that is sure to get them into the best schools- the pressure to keep to a schedule that will ensure that they are well rounded – music lessons, sports teams, volunteer work- and I’m not saying these things are all bad- but this is the world they live in. And when you add to that the normal just-being-a-kid-trying-to-please-Mom-and-Dad, whether they live with Mom, or Dad, or both, or grandma, or aunt Emma and still searching for a sense of self in the family structure/siblings… it’s enough to make your head spin.
And kids, just in case you are thinking that you are the only ones with worries, let me tell you that adults are saddled with just as much. They actually read the paper, and watch the news and have job pressure and peer pressure and worry about the economy and about global warming and grim predictions of doom and gloom for the future.
Who is immune? Does anyone have no stress in their lives? Heck- this is the holiday season! This weekend we began by setting aside a whole day to thank God for what we have- we gather with family and friends and relish the gift of being together. Well... until the whistle blows and it's time to shop. Even if you managed to avoid the temptation of thanksgiving sales, and the lure of black Friday-there is pressure this time of year to have things, do things- calendars are filled up early- we map out our holiday season- micromanage our time so we can get everything done! Stress!
Yet Jesus tells us through our scripture passage, not to worry. "Don’t worry about your life," says Jesus- "Don’t worry about what you will wear, or what you will eat, or what you will drink. Just look at the birds they don’t plant or harvest- they can’t provide for themselves, but God gives them enough to eat- You’re much more valuable than they are- so God will care for you too! Check out the flowers, says Jesus- they don’t work for a living and the Lord gives them the most gorgeous clothes- just walk through a field full of lilies and it will knock your socks off."
Well, what do birds know? They don’t have mid terms and deadlines and MSNBC to keep them informed! They have no fiscal cliff to fall off! And flowers don’t have credit card debt and mortgages and they don’t even know about the Mayan Calendar… they have the easy life. In the real world, we have to work for a living. We toil for what we get, so we can provide for our families. Look where we live for crying out loud! We have to keep up! We have to fit in! We have to give our kids all the opportunities we had, and more! Who's going to do all that?
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?... Who among you, by worrying, can add even one hour to the span of your life?”
A nice idea… this no worrying thing. I would love to get there; where I could go about my daily business and daily busy-ness and not worry about tomorrow- to believe that everything will work out the way God wants it to anyway, so why bother to stress over it. It’s true isn’t it? I do believe somewhere in the heart of my being that God really does love me and really is providing for me and really does care about me more than a flower… so where is the disconnect? Why can’t I live that way? Why do I wake up in the middle of the night every single night and my inner monologue starts going and my mind starts rushing and I jump on to the worry wheel like a hamster in a cage? Because as much as I believe all this stuff about God taking care of everything, including me, I feel like sometimes I have to micromanage every little part of my life!
And, for most of us, because we can’t stand the anxiety, we self medicate- everything from watching TV to surfing the net, to video games to shopping to eating to drinking to drugs, illegal and prescription... our anxieties have gotten the best of us and our emotions manage us, instead of us managing our emotions.
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?... Who among you, by worrying, can add even one hour to the span of your life?” one hour… one minute…one second… to your life… that’s the real worry isn’t it? When all is said and done, isn’t all this worry about sustaining ourselves? That maybe if I can cover all the bases, and I can keep my body in shape, and I can keep a decent living going so I’m comfortable, (I don't want to endure anything painful) and I have a good job so that I can get the things I want and need to survive, than I will be secure… for as long as I can... I will be secure. With all the worries in the world, what we all really long for, is security.
And that’s where the whole system breaks down. Because as much as we work- as much money as we make- as much education as we have- as strong as we can make your body- our very life is dependent on God. Everything that you have, everything you’ve worked for, everything you will ever have, is given to you, not by your own hand, but by God. The talents and gifts you possess in order to even keep the jobs you have, or do the things you do, come from God. And I think everyone can come to grips with that reality...eventually...
But here's the other half of that reality- is what the birds know. That we are created, not just dependent on God, but on one another. (oh no- she’s not going to talk about community again, is she?) Yes- absolutely- because community is at the heart of everything we have and of everything we do. Community is how we learn the most basic of human functions- eating, walking, caring... it is the reason we come together in the first place. Community is the reason that the very first Thanksgiving took place.
The early settlers, despite what their political or colonial motivations may have been, were completely dependent on two things for survival- God, and each other. Well, its 2 1/2 centuries later and despite societal trending toward individualism and isolation, we are a people still completely dependent on two things- God and each other. And as much as we try to kid ourselves into thinking that we are in this for ourselves, and have just our own interests at stake, that’s not really true in the way it plays out.
We use words like social justice, and fairness and equity- and we think that means only that we are supposed to care for those who don’t have what we have, the poor, the oppressed, the homeless, the prisoners- and be thankful that we can share what we have with others. And that's true, but I believe it goes deeper than just caring for and sharing with- We need to look deeper at what has gotten us to the place where we have homeless, and poor, and oppressed- As a society, we have become so worried about our own security, we have created and support a system that affords luxury to some and leaves others in poverty… and as long as that system is in place, it leaves every single one of us vulnerable. Every fear I mentioned in the beginning of this message has the same origin- self interest. Because when we start thinking only about our own interests, what's in it for ME, and not really give a hoot what’s best for everyone, we have a breakdown in society- and it leaves every single one of us vulnerable. Unless all of us are ok- none of us are ok. No wonder we worry!
And is it any wonder that the birds and flowers don't? Nature exists and thrives only by cooperation! Every species, every eco system, completely reliant on the next for survival. As long as everything does what it is designed to do, all of nature coexists in harmony. The grand master plan of creation, if you will...one based on trust and a reliance on 'the other.' Now that is a big jump for us as human beings.. a trust and a reliance on the other...
But truly Jesus doesn't just spout out "don't worry" without giving us a plan; a way to jump off of our little worry wheels we run on every day. He says, instead of living for yourself, 'strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.' That means when we intentionally work for the Kingdom- when we start living in cooperation instead of competition, we can bring about a world where no one has to live afraid. Imagine if we lived in a world where we actually lived out what we were designed to be; lived out our full potential and used all that was in us? That the gifts that one of us received, in whatever area, blesses the whole community… where people are encouraged to find whatever God given gifts they have, and then are empowered to use them- where one is gifted at finance and one is gifted in music and one in construction- but the whole community benefits and gives back to each other- and here's the tough part- where all gifts are seen as equal in value- and where all people are equally valued. A place where we encourage each other in love- instead of perpetuating a system of fear.
This holiday season, as we sit at the table together in our smaller communities of family and friends- and as we come together at the table of our community of faith- is it possible this year to be thankful for the gifts, not just of the large meal and the warm house and the wonderful people around the table- but can we begin to be thankful for the lives of those who we haven’t yet invited to the table- the ones who perhaps, have no table- but on whose life we depend for our own survival. Can we thank God for another chance to seek the kingdom; for the possibility of bringing about a world of hope and righteousness? Talk about security!
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?... Who among you, by worrying, can add even one hour to the span of your life?”