Monday, 29 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.



How is it now that the bird is a teacher? Where is the point of contact in the instruction it imparts? Why! Naturally, it teaches us that surest way to avoid the anxiety of riches and abundance, namely, not to lay up riches and abundance – bearing in mind that one is a traveler; and in the second place, it teaches us…, in abundance to be ignorant of the fact that one has abundance – bearing in mind that one is a traveler… Ah, it is difficult, when one is beautiful, not to know it (a thing, however, which both the bird and the lily can do), still more difficult, when one has abundance, not to know it! But in abundance the bird is as ignorant of the fact that it has abundance as if it did not have it.



As I read this, I thought of the many images of the people who were taken off to the concentration camps by the Nazis. Naturally, people took very personal and important items from their homes as they did not know if they would be coming back to this place. They were right on one count. They would not come back. They were wrong on the other. What they took with them was taken from them by the Nazis. We all have things we hold close like treasure…things from which we would not want to part. But then, we are all set to face the time when no “thing” can be taken with us…no “thing” can define us or be the measure of who we are. The lilies of the field and the birds of the air teach us of the utter worth of our being. Followers of Jesus are told we have a worth before we have any “thing” within our lives. Therefore, our abundance, no matter how that is defined for us, is not of primary concern for us. We can consider the worth of our lives – just as our God has created us.



Connection: We are travelers through this day. What is necessary for us to travel faithfully within the many demands of this day that will be place on us or that we will pick up and take on as our own?



Teach us, O Lord, that you bring to us all that will make us your beloved children. From that point of reference, free us from that burden of our abundance so that we can find within this day the simple joy that comes to those who trust that you are with us and we will be held close to you. Amen.