As expected,
this term’s exploration
Consuming religion: faith, desire and the economy
has taken us far and wide.
From love to injustice.
Charity to cultural critique.
Wealth, poverty, response to poverty.
And all stripes of consumption.
We have explored various ways in which our consumer culture,
can negatively affect our lives of faith.
We come away, perhaps,
with a deeper understanding of the issue before us.
And frames of reference for response
But I am left with the lingering question,
of how one translates this understanding into action.
But, as expected,
I’ve learned a few things during this term.
Which I’d like to outline now in brief.
First,
if we think that this problem of faith, desire and consumption
is to be solved,
By some return to a nostalgic pre-consumptive period…
we’re probably wrong.
If we think it’s all about a change of heart.
we’re probably wrong.
If we think it’s all about charitable giving…
we’re probably wrong.
And if we think it’s all about national or inter-national laws and policies.
we’re probably wrong.
If we think it’s just about deeper understanding of the issue or of theology in general…
we’re probably wrong.
And if you think it’s all about illuminating some lost piece of scripture…
probably wrong.
But still, I figured we couldn’t make it through a term on faith and consumption,
Without coming up against this particular passage
from the Sermon on the Mount.
Filled as it is with deep and troubling wisdom on the subject.
But frankly I was hoping someone else would attempt to take it on.
Because I find it,
in many ways,
a passage more troubling than helpful.
Bookended by deep wisdom:
You can’t serve wealth and God.
and focus on today.
But with a really difficult middle section.
Particularly that phrase:
Don’t Worry.
Don’t worry about your life, or your food.
Don’t worry about finals or your job.
Don’t worry.
There are few less-helpful things that one could say,
when someone is, in fact, worrying.
And it’s not that I’m a huge worrier,
but rather,
that when I’m worried it’s because there’s probably something to worry about.
And so if I’m worrying…I feel like you should let me worry.
During my third and final year at Yale,
we hosted a series of talks from our Divinity School professors,
on the practices of their spiritual lives.
And I remember one afternoon going to hear one of our preaching professors;
She spoke about her practice of prayer.
And for some reason,
she began to go into great detail about how her last several job opportunities,
had simply fallen into her lap,
through no effort of her own.
Including the one that brought her to teach at Yale.
She spoke about how she was happy in her job,
not really hoping for or expecting a change.
And then…Boom…job offer from Yale Divinity School.
And this was a sort of refrain in her professional life.
Now I was sitting with a group of friends,
all of us in our final year of school.
All of us furiously filling out applications for schools,
writing resumes and cover letters.
And this sort of “I don’t worry about jobs” talk,
which I’m pretty sure was largely motivated by this passage from Matthew,
needless to say,
did not sit well with many of us.
It would be kind of like me,
standing up here today,
talking about how finals were generally quite easy for me.
How I always made sure to sleep 9 hours a night,
and pulled fantastic grades,
while strengthening my personal relationships,
and taking time to mentor local youths.
Which, by the way, is not true.
But even if it were, it would not be helpful to say such things.
And I can tell you that my job here at Dartmouth,
did not come to me through lack of worry.
But came rather through hard work and concern.
(and, of course, through the grace of one Richard Crocker).
There is, I firmly believe, a sort of productive worry,
that is an innate part of the human experience,
which allows us to get things done.
To prioritize and focus.
Which we should perhaps honor rather than avoid.
Indeed our reading of this particular passage
[at least the central portion]
seems to hinge on two primary words:
Worry
and Strive.
Two words that I think speak not to a state of mind,
or a change of heart,
but rather to a notion of action.
Perhaps Jesus here speaks of that sort of worry,
which is all consuming,
and allows for a kind of inaction,
wherein we are so distressed by a situation,
so worried
that we can think of nothing else.
Where we cannot see the larger picture.
Or else so worried that we are unable to do anything at all.
And this worrisome inaction ought indeed, it seems to me, be avoided.
For it is in this sense,
that we are all provided for.
It is not that humans are given some cheap grace,
wherein God fills each of our daily needs,
like a mother robin,
regurgitating worms for her hatchlings.
We only need open a newspaper,
to realize that many human lilies of the field,
are not so well fed, clothed and watered.
But we are left sure in the notion,
that we have a God, a spirit and a community that is on our side.
That we do not stand fearfully alone against the problems of the world.
That we will face real challenges.
But that we will not be overcome.
That we are,
through no action of our own,
Redeemed, forgiven and cared for.
And this brings us to our second word of the day…
Strive.
Strive first for the kingdom of God.
Which, I’ll admit, I like much better than the traditional rendering:
“Seek first the kingdom”
Which inevitably brings up memories of games of hide and seek.
As if God’s kingdom simply waits
behind the coats in the front closet,
or up in a tree at the corner of the playground.
Waits to be uncovered in some grand moment of revelation.
Moving immediately from known to unknown.
But striving speaks to me a state of perpetual work.
Strive first for the kingdom of God.
in response to our knowledge,
that on some level, we are already provided for.
Strive first for the kingdom of God.
We have not an ultimate solution to our problems,
but a task set before us.
To work to live into the richness of the grace of God.
Strive first for the kingdom of God.
because we know the world will ask much of us,
we know that we are freely given grace and love,
and that the task before us is simply to respond.
Strive first for the kingdom of God.
Strive as in the opposite of that sort of distressed worry,
that allows us to do nothing.
And perhaps the lesson for today,
is more of a question:
What would happen if,
instead of focusing on understanding or theology.
Or solely on law or policy.
We simply tried to do better.
In an active sense.
Knowing that we are always already being pulled by the forces of our consumer culture.
What if we developed better habits.
Habits based on values and notions we’ve long discussed.
Habits which will inevitably fail.
For all fall short of the glory of God.
But the good news is that we are all forgiven.
All justified.
All sinners.
Now and always.
And we don’t need to worry. Just strive. Today.
What if the question of desire,
isn’t a question of our inmost longings,
but of our outward actions.
For, as Gandhi said,
“Action expresses priorities.”
and I think he was right.
What if it’s not about a change in heart,
which we too often assume.
must precede a change in action.
But William Sloane Coffin once said:
“Christianity is primarily a way of life, not a system of belief.”
And I’ll admit,
that I think he too is probably wrong.
But I also think there’s something to it.
As I’ve now been sitting with this quote for quite some time.
What if,
facing the troubles of today,
we ought simply act first,
as best when can.
Strive, as best we can,
toward a vision of God’s kingdom,
Far off, and always present.
Just, as Nike says, do it.
Act. And see what happens. What if?
Amen.
