Jesus said, "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.
- From Matthew 6:25-33, Propers for Thanksgiving Day
This passage that appears in the Propers for Thanksgiving Day is one that my spiritual director assigned to me on more than one occasion. It is an important discipline in choosing a theological worldview of abundance versus scarcity throughout much of my spiritual journey. If you’ve attended a Bible study or adult formation class, you’ve likely heard me expound on this theme more than once. I imagine I keep talking about it because it is an ongoing point of friction for me. I suspect it might be for you as well. It is very human to worry about whether there will be enough for our needs and our wants.
This longing for abundance is not just about material things. We may find ourselves stuck in scarcity in a whole host of areas in our lives. We may long for affection from relationships that don’t seem to satisfy. We may fear there is not enough love and care to go around, and so we operate from a place of scarcity and competitiveness. We may have thought we’ve arrived at a different place only to find ourselves nursing old wounds or hurts around the family holiday table. We may find ourselves competing with a social media version of someone else’s life, fully aware that ours doesn’t appear quite so shiny behind the scenes.
Rather than imagining I’ll never fall into a place of scarcity again, I’ve tried to pray for the grace to catch myself more quickly when I do. I think Jesus asking us to look to the beauty of the natural world is a grounding practice of seeking abundance. During the pandemic, when we were still primarily in lockdown, I joked that the difference between a good and a bad day seemed to be a five-mile walk. When I was physically active and in the natural world, my countenance was improved. Seeing deer on the Salado Creek Trail that were completely unaware of COVID-19, I was able to imagine an awareness that wasn’t quite so stuck in my own head. It saw abundance and care that transcended my very real and daily concerns. What helps you seek abundance? As we enter a time of intentional gratitude, how might you give thanks for abundance?
We commence our new liturgical year this Sunday with the season of Advent. There is much to be found in community life as we prepare for the birth of Christ. I hope that time in worship and our many intergenerational opportunities will root you in the gifts God has given and will continue to gift us.
Peace, Beth +