It’s hard to live in the now since we constantly worry about the future. How low will the stock market go? Will I have enough money to pay my bills? What will I do if I lose my job? Will I be able to retire? What do I need to do to ensure I will have everything I need?An expert wood carver sat on his front porch, sipping lemonade and enjoying the sunshine on a spring afternoon. Around him on the porch sat his various creations. A friend of the wood carver stopped by for a visit and he was surprised to see the artisan relaxing. “It’s only 1:30PM, isn’t it a bit early for a break?” he asked. The artisan swallowed a mouthful of lemonade and yawned. “This isn’t a break,” he said, “I’m done for the day.”
His friend, a young executive, was confused. “What do you mean it’s too early to stop working? You could produce more. You could carve more figures. You could even hire an assistant to help you with your business. You could buy new tools. You could buy a shop and you wouldn’t have to carve at your house.” “Why would I want to do all that?” the carver asked. “So you could make more money,” his friend replied. “And what would I do with all that extra money?” the wood carver asked. “Why, enjoy life, of course.” The wood carver took another sip of lemonade, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He then mumbled, “What do you think I’m doing?”
Jesus made it clear that we would often find ourselves in tension over trying to serve God and trying be successful. The illusion of our culture feeds our worries and creates anxiety. In recent years we've seen just how manipulative and powerful a politics of fear can be. Our capitalist economy legitimizes greed, creates artificial wants and needs, perfects advertising techniques that shape our attitudes, and makes sure that money, no matter how much or little you have, is our number one worry. The most insidious effects of capitalism might be on those who succeed at it rather than on the poor who fail. No one is immune from these and other powerful cultural forces. I know I'm not.
“You cannot add to your life span by worrying,” Jesus said. I believe that Jesus meant that we will be less anxious and most likely live longer when we are optimistic about life and not pessimistic.
When we are optimistic we are more hopeful. That doesn’t mean we won’t experience a negative balance on our 401K. When we do, God wants us to embrace this event and realize that God is with us. Worrying gets us nowhere. The past is over and the future has not yet arrived. All we can do is live in the now. Let me suggest that you offer this paraphrased prayer of St. Francis to calm your soul whenever your (whizzy brain) chronic worry gets the best of you.
"I want to be a channel for peace. May I bring love where there is hatred and healing where there is hurt; joy where there is sadness and hope where there is fear.
I pray that I may always try to understand and comfort other people as well as seeking comfort and understanding from them.
Wherever possible, may I choose to be a light in the darkness, a help in times of need, and a caring, honest friend. And may justice, kindness and peace flow from my heart forever."
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends that we experience the God we call Love in the people around us. Help us to unite ourselves to them as one, in ways that are even beyond our understanding, so that much of the anxiety, much of worry coming from the uncertainties of life are overcome.
