Wednesday 16 May 2012
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." (vv. 30-31)
Background
Along with food and money, I suspect that fashion is of equalattraction to modern life. But I can't help thinking what a sourceof worry that must be. The designers and chefs have a reputation tomaintain and develop, and those who are the consumers have anincome to protect in order to afford these things as well as theirpersonal status in society to safeguard.
The same could be said of city investment bankers. Having setthemselves up as the financial answer to everyone's problems, whatlevels of anxiety they must live in as those with so much money tolook after.
Today's passage uses the metaphor of clothing to convey a messagenot about what we might look like but about our levels of anxiety.If we are confident in ourselves, not outrageously so, butcomfortable about our own identity, then we are not wasting so muchtime, money and effort worrying about things that will not make apositive difference in our lives. The big deal today may crashtomorrow and today's designer frock will be destined for the binbefore the week is out. These things come and go like the weatherwhich will wash away or dry up within a few hours what we havespent days developing.
So concentrate on the things that contribute long term to thequality of our life, the lives of those around us as well as thelives of people all over the world. If we can lead lives that holdintegrity as the most important quality, and which are honest andtrustworthy then such needs as having to accrue money and fashiongoods and fashionable food, will diminish because we will see themas the waste of our human purpose. As Isaac Watts so simply puts itin his hymn, "
To Ponder
Trusting God and letting go of the things societyupholds can threaten our sense of security. How do you think ourchurch communities can support us to help us 'let go'?
Many migrant workers are lured to West London bythe dream of a better world. But they discover the hard realitythat though life was hard back home, it was better than that towhich they have come. How can we lead our lives that better reflectwhat we really are and really have?