Tuesday 7 October 2008

This piece by Hauerwas really seems to speak to the present worldwide economic anxiety.

It is true, of course, that in a sense to be a "forgiven people" makes us lose control. to be forgiven means that I must face the fact that my life actually lies in the hands of others. I must learn to trust them as I have learned to trust God. thus it is not accidental that Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread. We cannot live to insure our ultimate security, but must learn to live on a day-to-day basis. Or, perhaps better, we must be a people who have learned not to fear surprises as a necessary means to sustain our lives. For, ironically, when we try to exclude surprise from our life, we are only more subject to the demonic. We become subject to those "necessities" that we are anxious about because without them we fear wee lack to control our lives.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from a friend who attached a piece by someone who suggested that people go to their banks and simply take out enough money to make it through the month and to do it before next week. Talk about trying to be helpful but really creating anxiety! And yet, none of us want to be surprised. We want or even need to be in some control of the life situations around us. In times that appear to be a crisis within the economy, attempting to gain control for oneself actually may bring with it more crisis. So, even if we "save" ourselves in the short term, we eventually cannot maintain that control. One thing that is clear - many are finding how the 'necessities' of our lives often rule us and create anxiety that can immobilize us. When we are told in this piece that "forgiveness means that we must face the fact that that my life actually lies in the hands of others," we are being encouraged to look beyond our individual lives and face the need for community. That again means giving up some of our control and beginning to look at the gift of others - gifts that may see us through all the surprises that come upon us.

Connection: It is amazing how well some people do in the middle of the turmoil of the day. What is stirring within us and beneath us when the days events create anxiety with us and around us? It is not always an easy thing to see and/or admit.

You promise to be our life and our light in the midst of all the days of our lives, O God. For us that does not mean you take away the reality of the situations around us. Rather, you continue to remind us how to be fully alive within your expectations of who we are within your Reign. We then can look around and see the possibilities within the anxieties of our lives. You are present and available even as we struggle through the day. We thank you, O God. Amen.