Friday, 19 December, 2003

This series of devotions are focused around Soren Kierkegaard’s “Christian Discourses etc.� The biblical text to consider during these devotions is: Matthew 6:24-34.



The bird is in poverty without the anxiety of poverty – it keeps silent; the Christian is in poverty without the anxiety of poverty but s/he does not talk of his/her poverty, rather of his/her riches. The heathen has the anxiety of poverty. Instead of being in poverty without anxiety, s/he is…’without God in the world’ (Ephesians 2:12). Behold for this reason s/he has anxiety. S/he does not keep silent like the care-free bird, s/he does not talk like the Christian, who talks of his/her riches; s/he actually has and knows nothing to talk of except poverty and its anxiety. He asks, what shall I eat? and What shall I drink? – today, tomorrow, the day after, the coming winter, the following spring, when I am old, as for me and mine and the whole land, what shall we eat and drink?



Kierkegaard has us take a deep look at ourselves. What are we? Of course we are faithful followers of Jesus! And yet, look how anxious we can sound and appear to others. But to think of ourselves as “heathen,� that is, unbelievers, is a hard and harsh word. And yet, we are pushed to that point. This is not simple a discussion about considering the lilies and the birds, we must consider the heathen and in considering them, we may have to look in the mirror and see ourselves. I think it is a good harsh word…a reality check. I also think it is not about our hopelessness. Instead, I remember that we are simultaneously saint and sinner. Of course, I become anxious about the things of life. Then again, within the community of Christ, I pray with others that my life not be swallowed in such a mire of anxiety and that I trust our God for all things for – remember – I am child of God – a saint – in God’s hands.



Connection: Today is another day in which we are given the opportunity to mature a bit more as followers of Jesus. That may simply mean we know where to turn when we become the least bit anxious with our life in the world.



Be for us our foundation for new life as we step out into the turns and bends of this day that so often throw us or cause us to stumble. Lord, God, be for us a shelter that will renew us to continue on the way trusting in you alone. Amen.