Scriptural Basis
Matthew 6:24-34 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
"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 his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."
Blog Reflection
How about we do an experiment together?
Read this Gospel to a group of your best friends who invite you to a dinner party. Don't read it until after everyone at the dinner table is well fed and has enjoyed every bite. What might you hear them say?
I bet you will hear something similar to this. "Yeah, God provided a great meal." You might also hear: "God didn't do anything, the cook just put together a fabulous dinner." "All of those great farmers and companies where we bought the food, did such a great job."
In other words, they had all they needed. It didn't matter who it came from. They have been fed. They are satisfied. Most likely, they and you will be satisfied again tomorrow.
Now read this Gospel in a place like Wisconsin with the union protesters who's livelihoods hang in the balance of the political tug of war for power.
Read this Gospel to the many LGBT women and men in Uganda fearing what could happen to them if someone finds out about their sexuality. The Ugandan LGBT people who live in fear of the day that the anti-homosexuality bill should pass and it becomes the law. How might those individuals react to hearing this Gospel about not worrying about tomorrow?
Read this Gospel to a man who lives with HIV/AIDS about not worrying about tomorrow, when his State Republican Majority votes and passes a bill that will reduce funding for him to receive medical treatment for his condition.
Read this Gospel about not worrying about tomorrow to a woman who is carrying a child that she does not know how she will take care. She has just sat in the church and heard some preacher use the end of today's Hebrew Scripture reading that says: "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." The Priest may have just used these words to condemn abortion. Such works are known to make a pregnant, unwed, unemployed, poor mother feel so terribly guilty should she decide not to carry that child to term, because she cannot adequately care for herself, let alone a child that will depend on her for everything. Tell this woman, what Jesus said: "Do not worry about tomorrow."
It is easy to hear the words: "Do not worry about tomorrow" or even be grateful that God has said: "Even if these forget you, I will not forget you" when we have our homes, jobs, health, sexual orientation and/or gender expression/identity that no one is out to destroy, wealth, safety etc. But, to those who do not have so many choices on any number of those things, tell them not to worry, or God will not forget them, and they just might answer: "God forgot about me a long time ago. So, I have forgotten about God."
What might be the reason?
Someone in a church carelessly told them not to worry, everything will be all right, and then they walked out and were mugged. They lost the only money they had to buy milk for their child for a week. When they went to a local food bank, they were grilled and questioned. Made to feel like a fool for having gone there in the first place. Told the food banks rules that only added more grief and distress to their already troubled situation.
What is happening in Wisconsin and all over the world, including Libya is a struggle for total power vs shared power. What is happening as some State Governments around the US are attempting to strip union workers of their bargaining rights is about whether corporate power, which already has total power through their donations to politics, gets even more. It is an attempt to usurp shared power into becoming total power. It is about who will own and keep that power, because they are so wealthy, and powerful, they just cannot get enough.
As the National Organization for Marriage and other organizations against marriage equality, work against the rights of LGBT people to marry the person they love in various states, what is really going on?
The privilege of heterosexuals to own the power to determine who and what makes a family a family, to suddenly become shared power, that recognizes they are not the only ones who get to decide.
This Gospel today speaks both to those of us who have more than enough, but want more, and to those of us who barely have enough of what we need to survive in life, but can only trust in God to gain it.
In the exceptionally terrific movie Latter Days, Aaron the Mormon Missionary who struggles with his sexuality, his church and his family, says "I think we are all dots. I think we are all connected."
God sees all of us as God's children whom God has "fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139: 14). Whether we are rich or poor, lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer, black, red, gold or white, healthy or impaired. God sees us as all individually different people, who are uniquely connected to each other. That is why we need help from each other to achieve a sense of well being. We need each other in whatever situation we are in. Everyone matters. No one is without value, dignity, integrity. Therefore no one should be without the dignity and respect that belongs to them.
In this Gospel, Jesus is dismissing an age old ideal. The ideal that if you are rich and healthy God is happy with you. But, if you are poor, sick, or someone marginalized by a church or society as a whole, God is punishing you for something you did wrong. Jesus is slamming that notion to pieces.
Organizations like the American Family Association like to suggest that if there is an earthquake in California, it will be because of Judge Walker's decision last July to declare Prop 8 unconstitutional.
Other organizations suggested that the reason Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005 and the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last Spring is because New Orleans is the location of Southern Decadence.
These repulsive comments are also theological nonsense. In Today's Gospel, Jesus says as much.
What is our challenge from this Gospel?
We are challenged to understand that if we are so blessed to have been given an abundance, it did not come from no one or no where. God does have something to do with all that we enjoy. We have been given those wonderful opportunities to not only refresh and enjoy ourselves, but to share some of that with those who are not so fortunate. God has blessed us with much, to share much.
We are also challenged to understand that if we are not so endowed with wealth and an easy time working and earning, or even having our equal rights, God has not abandoned us. What we need will come from God. What we have, even if it is only the grace to just hang on for now and do the best we can, that is God's gift to us at that moment, and there is so much more to come. The best is up ahead, we just cannot see it at this moment.
In the awesome television show Touched by An Angel, Monica would tell everyone she worked with: "God loves you, and wants you to trust God."
God does love each and every one of us. Totally, deeply and completely. As a Parent loves their child. God desires everything and anything good for us. Even in those moments when it looks and appears like what is good and most needed, just seems impossible.
When we have been blessed to obtain that which we thought was once impossible, we show our thanks to God by becoming God's missionaries of compassion and understanding and share with others. To speak up for those marginalized. To encourage closeted youth to come out of their closet and show God and the world around them, that being LGBT is wonderful. To encourage those wishing for marriage equality, to do more than just talk about it. To actually get active with organizations and individuals and play a decisive, difficult, but fulfilling role towards equality, justice and inclusion for LGBT people, and all marginalized persons.
The rallies in Egypt, Wisconsin and all over the world have been extraordinary. They have accomplished something that has not been done in a very long time. The rallies have brought all kinds of different people, with all their quirks and quarrels out in the open to work peacefully towards some kind of resolution. The people who have responded to the Union workers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and all over, has brought LGBT groups, unions, women's organizations, environmentalists and more, all out to fight the good fight for those who's very livelihoods and futures hang in the balance together in support of each other. Organizations with members that usually oppose something in the other, have put it all aside and have come out to stand in solidarity with each other.
If we could only understand that we are all "dots connected" and reach out to each other all the time, there would be no racisim, sexism, heterosexism, etc. There would be no organizations fighting for marriage equality while others fight for discrimination. We would recognize in each person their dignity. We would not deny each other anything, what so ever.
Prayers
Most loving God, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who care for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Book of Common Prayer, page 216),
Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places: Grant that your presence and power may be known throughout this land. Have mercy upon all of us who live and work in rural areas; and grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good things come. All this we ask in your holy Name. Amen.(Prayer for Towns and Rural Areas, Book of Common Prayer, page 825).
Look with pity, O Holy One, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, page 826
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