Alfred E. Neuman
was a crazy little character who often appeared on the front
cover of Mad magazine. He had many
sayings and quotations associated with himself but one of the
more famous was, "What, Me Worry?" This saying came
at a time when he was surrounded by numerous potential dangers.
Krister Stendahl, author, professor, church bishop and former
moderator of the World Council of Churches wrote somewhat more
seriously when he said, "Our age and that age of the first
century have more in common than we think ... Both times
can be characterized as cosmically scared, frightened ages, caught
under principalities and powers where tiny little human beings
just know they cannot do much, that they are not in control,
that they are just caught." (Synthesis, August 8, 2004)
No doubt the friends and neighbors of Jesus had more to worry
about than most of us in this sanctuary. They had political and
religious oppression as well as concern for where the next meal
would originate. We enjoy relative freedom politically and religiously
and almost all of us here are blessed with material goods. This
is not true for many people, however, including many of our greater
community.
We hear reports of a major lay-off from one of our local manufacturers.
Our government tells us there will be additional attacks on us
by terrorists. People fear growing old, becoming ill, losing
control, not being good enough, having their spouse fall out
of love with them, not being able to get into the school of their
choice or not being able to afford it — the list is endless.
There have been times when the Church has even added fears
to our list but producing fear is not what Jesus came to do.
Jesus understands our fears; Jesus' desire is to alleviate
our fears. Jesus understood the poverty many people face and
their concern for food, clothing and shelter. Nations strive
for these things because they are important. Even God knows we
need these things. Jesus tells us to strive for or seek the Kingdom
of God as a matter of first priority and the lesser important
things will come to us as well. Jesus goes on to say that it
is God's desire to give us the Kingdom that God wants us
to have.
It seems to be a matter of priority. What do we most need in
life and how much fear do we have of not getting it? Jesus tells
us that we do not need to fear not receiving God's love
if that is what we seek as a matter of first priority. We have
to come to a place of realizing that whatever it is that we treasure
most we have made it our god.
We sing a praise song titled, Seek Ye
First.
The words of the song tell us that if we seek the Kingdom of
God above all else all of the other things we actually need will
come to us. I suspect this is very hard to believe if you are
hungry, homeless and without a job.
What is ironic is the fear people still have in spite of having
a home, clothes to wear, food to eat and money in the bank. Now
this starts to get closer to many of us and to where we live.
With all of the so-called basic necessities of life seemingly
met one might think we who are in this situation might have more
time to seek God's Kingdom and a deeper personal relationship
with God. Amazingly many people don't. Lives are filled
with activities and possessions but they ultimately don't
seem to fill the hole that continues to exist in many people's
lives today.
What is still missing? I think for many it is not yet living
in the Kingdom of God. The editor of Synthesis writes, "If
you are perennially worried about material security — keeping
what you have or getting more of what you haven't got — there
will be an erosion, slow or rapid, of your vitality as a disciple.
What you do and the way in which you do it for the self will
suffocate the breath of the Spirit. Abundance of life comes through
participation — abiding — in the Kingdom of God."
Gordon Cosby, pastor of the Church of the Savior in Washington,
D.C. once preached, "When I reflect deeply on my life and
what I really want, it is to not be afraid. When I am afraid,
I am miserable. I play it safe. I restrict myself. I hide the
talent of me in the ground. I am not deeply alive — the
depths of me are not being expressed.
When I am afraid a tiny part of me holds captive most of me
which rebels against the tyranny of the minority. When I am afraid
I am a house divided against its self. So more than anything
else I want to be delivered from fear, for fear is alien to my
own best interest, or, to put it positively, I want to give myself
generously, magnanimously, freely — out of love. I want
to be able to take risks, to express myself and welcome and embrace
the future."
Elizabeth O'Connor writes in, Cry
Pain, Cry Hope, "Fear,
in the New Testament, is considered to be the root of all evil.
It is fear that makes us selfish; it is fear that makes us hate;
it is fear that makes us blind; it is fear that makes us mad.
Fear casts out love as love casts our fear. Which of the two,
therefore, am I going to choose?"
The community called the Church is to be a people whose love
for God and each other helps cast out fear. It is only when we
become afraid that we will not have enough or that we are not
good enough that we begin to objectify others and no longer treat
them as a member of the human family. Fear can do that to us
if we give our fear control of our lives.
This is why Jesus tells us to first seek the Kingdom of God.
This is why it is important for us to know and remember all that
God has done for us. This is why Jesus said to pray for daily
bread and to celebrate the Lord's Supper remembering that
God is with us and for us — not just one select group of
people but all people who are created in the image of God.
This is why it is imperative in our ever shrinking world that
we learn how to treat our enemies with love for hatred and violence
only produce more hatred and violence. Hatred and violence produce
fear which if it is not replaced with love only produces more
hatred and violence. This is true for individuals, couples, families,
groups and nations.
Living a life of faith focused upon the Kingdom of God helps
set us free from the worry and fear of day to day existence.
Spend special time in God's presence and listen for the
voice that tells you how precious and gifted you are. Listen
to that same voice tell you how precious others are to the very
One who loves you.
Two or three times in Luke 12 Jesus says, "Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also." I believe
it is appropriate to state it in reverse as well: Wherever your
heart is you will find what you treasure. The secret is knowing
what is worth treasuring and giving your heart to it as well
as your mind, soul and strength. The One who is able to fill
the emptiness that leads to fear awaits our coming into the Loving
Presence. It is a place where fear is replaced with faith, with
hope and with love.
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