Simplicity and seeking first the kingdom of God
From the Sermon on the Mount:
So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
From this month’s Pacific Yearly Meeting queries:
Do I center my life in an awareness of God’s presence so that all things take their rightful place?
Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world’s bounty?
Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?
How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?
Do I recognize when I have enough?
Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?
These queries always challenge me. Thoughts?
August 28th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Hello Again:
I haven’t written in a while, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your site. In the passage you quote above… my first knee-jerk reaction to this is always the same….
SO… are you (not really you… I mean the passage) suggesting that I give up planning, trying to organize, trying to predictably support myself…. and just let it all go? Just kind of drift around thinking about God without a concern for anything else, be it a place to live, food to eat, etc?
That is what I always feel and I feel a bit grumpy about it. It seems so pie-in-the-sky and seems to be aimed at the drifters, those that do not give a damn about doing good or trying to accomplish.
So, I am always flumoxed by the passage you cited.
I miss having you visit my site as much as before. Please consider coming back.
Again, thank you!
PipeTobacco
http://frumpypofessor.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2007 at 9:47 am
My understanding of this passage focuses on 1. “Do not worry,” 2. “Seek first His kingdom and righteousness,” and 3. “all these things will be given to you.”
We may over analyze wisdom statements that are meant to bring about a higher state of being and not to be taken with an all-inclusive literalness. Matthew and Luke are clearly paraphrasing Jesus’ teaching trying to capture the mood and the meaning. It’s like not understanding what Jesus means by “Behold the birds in the air” who “neither sow or reap nor gather into barns” yet God “feeds them.” We can say, “Well, they also starve to death,” but certainly Jesus knows that. Rather, consider the mood and condition his words are meant to evoke, particularly in our very hectic and busy times. Do we take the time to sit back, breath and compose ourselves, contemplating God, His creation and His righteousness, or do we spend most of our time scurrying about anxiously addressing materials concerns? Jesus beckons us “Come unto me, all ye who labor and are haven laden, and I will give you rest.”
August 28th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Thanks, PipeTobacco and José! Pipe, I’m still reading your blog; I’ve just been lurking instead of commenting lately. I’ll consider commenting a bit more.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:41 am
On the one hand, I have some of the same reaction to the passage as you, PipeTobacco, that it sounds as if it involves a terribly impractical amount of abandoning of planning. And it’s my role to be the one of the family that plans about things like retirement and provision for a rainy day. With a husband with bipolar disorder, he and I both agree that we need such things in the hands of the person who’s not likely to get manic.
On the other hand, at the same time, it’s one of my favorite passages, because of the reassurance not to worry. And about seeking first the kingdom of God. There’s a lovely hymn based on the words about seeking first the kingdom of God that’s one of my favorites. And my husband can tell you that I’m always quoting to him Matthew 6:34, about each day having trouble enough for itself. Some degree of planning is good, but anxious worry isn’t so much, and it’s something I need the reminder about.
The part of the Quaker queries that I see as most related to the passage is “Do I center my life in an awareness of God’s presence so that all things take their rightful place?”
September 1st, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Hi,
Nice blog.
I remember being at school and having some serious problems. I went to see a teacher about it all and this teacher said “okay Marcus, tell all this to God and then remember – it’s a sin to worry!”
A sin? I was amazed.
“Yes, Jesus said ‘do not worry’”
This advice, lovingly given, really helped me at the time. And now – three decades later – it’s all coming back to me again with a new freshness and life. It’s helping me again. And it’s all so simple…
‘Do not worry’.
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:53 am
Wow. I’m afraid I have to use some of the earth’s resources to print those questions out. They’ll keep me busy for a while. Thanks much.