"Look at the birds of the air ... "
+ Ralph Abernathy to MLK
Prison Scene in Selma
Prison Scene in Selma
One of the most powerful scenes in one of my favorite films based on one of the most important moments in U.S. history involves what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount:
Look at the birds of the air.
Look at the birds of the air.
They do not sow nor reap
nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father
doth feed them.
Are you not worth much more
than they are? ...
And who of you by being worried
can add a single hour to his life?
Rev. Ralph Abernathy says this to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. when they are worn down in prison, wearily striving to seek first the Kingdom of God in the midst of the intense struggles and injustices of the Civil Rights Movement. Exhaustion is present, yet it is a steadfast moment of strength between two friends who are hanging on to Jesus when MLK in particular feels like he's hanging by a thread.
I come back to this scene often, and I was once again reminded of it this month when I read this quote:
When Jesus tells His followers
not to worry,
He interrupts the continuous loop
of what-ifs that tend to
dominate our lives.
To feel worry and anxiety
are normal parts of being human;
however, to feed worry and anxiety
leads to bondage.
We are not made to be imprisoned
this way.
We are not meant to be unjustly imprisoned for standing for peace, justice, compassion, and equality. And we are not meant to be imprisoned by anxiety, suffocating in a world of distraction, escape, envy, and individualism. And yet, through it all, this God is with us, the Master in meeting us in the mess.
During this season of Lent, involving praying, fasting, almsgiving, and recognizing again the limitations of our humanity so we reach for a Savior beyond ourselves, it's good to return to Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount like Ralph Abernathy and MLK did. Rich Villodas also helped me do this again in his most recent book, The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls. An excerpt from Chapter 9: Our Anxiety stirred my soul today, and I hope it does the same for you.
The Narrow Path:
Our Anxiety, His Security
In a 2022 report, the American Psychological Association detailed this alarming news: Around seven in 10 adults (72%) have experienced additional health impacts due to stress, including feeling overwhelmed (33%), experiencing changes in sleeping habits (32%), and/or worrying constantly (30%). Almost one out of every three adults is habitually anxious.
The good news is Jesus offers help.
When Jesus tells His followers
not to worry,
He interrupts the continuous loop
of what-ifs that tend to
dominate our lives.
To feel worry and anxiety
are normal parts of being human;
however, to feed worry and anxiety
leads to bondage.
We are not made to be imprisoned
this way.
God is with us and for us.
When Jesus arrives at this part of His Kingdom Manifesto (see Matthew 6:25-34), He wants us to know something about God: He is trustworthy. This is a truth we need to hear again and again. Our Father has an endless supply of love and compassion for us.
Scripture teaches that God's generosity extends to everyone: "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good" (Matthew 5:45). God is a merciful, forgiving parent who pours out love on prodigal and self-righteous sons alike. Jesus committed His life to showcasing what God is like. When we look upon Him, we behold the Father.
(And) though God is infinite in knowledge and power, He cares for the minute details of His creation. Instead of coldly observing the cosmos, the Creator lovingly tends to it. Even little birds, insignificant in the scope of the universe, are fed by their heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:26). The unseen God extends His cosmic hands to provide for pigeons. The same is true of the grass and flowers: Every blade and petal is handcrafted and sustained by the Provider.
Like He does for the birds and flora,
God actively holds our lives together.
Slowly, but surely,
I've realized that Jesus
doesn't cause worry;
He removes it.
Jesus wants you to know Him
as tender, not terrorizing;
cruciform in love, not capricious;
compassionate, not condemning;
attentive, not aloof.
Maybe you've lived for a long while with an image of God in your head that causes anxiety. Please, behold Jesus and His tenderness. Today you can begin a new journey of seeing God. His love for you is steadfast and unrelenting.
The sad truth is, worry steals time. Jesus says, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:27). Translation: Stop worrying and start enjoying. The more you worry, the less time you have. Helpfully, Jesus doesn't merely say to stop worrying; He tells us to seek His Kingdom.
To seek God's Kingdom first is to have our entire value system transformed, or at least questioned. One way to seek the Kingdom of God is to identify how we seek other kingdoms and strategies in pursuit of the good life. As we situate ourselves in God's world and ways, worry no longer has a grip on our souls, and we begin to discern the gifts of God already at our disposal. With open hands, we find ourselves caught and carried by the strong and loving arms of the Father.
Jesus lets us know that our lives are safe in the Father's providing hands. But first we must let go of worldly values that stand opposed to God's Kingdom. To let go of the value system of the world is unnerving. Orienting our lives around Jesus and His Kingdom can feel impractical. But isn't much of our worry a result of grasping the world's definition of happiness and success? So, let me ask you the following questions:
+ Who or what is shaping
+ Who or what is shaping
your definition of significance?
+ What specific actions, decisions,
postures, and habits will help you
seek God's Kingdom in this season?
Be as specific as possible.
+ How are you seeking the Kingdom
of the world over the kingdom of God?
Jesus invites you onto the narrow path, where you can live at ease, confident in God's provision. In addition to your physical needs, deeper soul provision is available as well. God's grace can form you to live as His child, joyfully content with the gifts He's given.
His Spirit can shape you
to live openhandedly —
not grasping or comparing,
but living in gratitude
under God's care ...
to live openhandedly —
not grasping or comparing,
but living in gratitude
under God's care ...
like He does for the birds
scattered in the sky ...
+ Rich Villodas,
The Narrow Path
excerpts from pgs. 116-128
+ Jess Ray, 2024 A.D.
Look at the birds,
They never sow or reap.
They never sow or reap.
Look at the flowers,
They never toil or spin.
There's not a day
They don't have what they need.
Are you not worth
Even more than them?
Even more than them?
Don't you know
That your Father in heaven
Knows just what you're needing?
Seek Him first and everything else
That you need will be given.
Don't you see, He loves you much more
Than the lilies and sparrows?
Come and rest, don't waste today
Being scared of tomorrow.
(Repeat Verse + Chorus)
All this worry
Won't buy you anything.
Prayer Practice
The present reality of God's creation
— not the shadowy imaginary future
— is the playground the Father
designed for His children.
Try this now.
Set a timer for 60 seconds,
and for this duration,
look out your window and
really be present to what you see.
Notice the shifting shape
of the clouds,
the particular hue of the sky,
the fluttering shapes of the leaves,
or whatever is present
in your corner of creation.
Consider how much anxiety
you experienced during
those 60 seconds.
If you actually get present
to nature like this,
you can experience a minute
of freedom from anxiety.
We were made to have this response.
A large body of research shows
that human beings seem to be
hardwired at an unconscious level
to feel greater calm in nature.
When Christians combine this
unconscious wiring with a
conscious appreciation of the
Creator Himself,
they are armed with a
powerful reminder of
God's presence in the Now.
The more you do this in your life,
the more you will free yourself
from anxiety's hijack to the future.
And the more you will open
yourself to the loving,
reassuring presence of the Father
— just as Jesus promised.
Don't stay in the future
because you want
to avoid loss in the future
more than you want
to embrace a Friend in the present.
+ Curtis Chang
The Anxiety Opportunity
Reading Recs:
With presence and peace in Christ, Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan Email Pastor Mike | Website | Visit Us | Support Us | Facebook Us |
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