“‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’” Matthew 6:34 (Context: Matthew 6:25-34)
This verse is certainly universally recognizable as wisdom, and could be loosely translated into a saying like “take things one day at a time.” A great platitude no doubt, but so common that there are multiple copies of it filed in an overstuffed junk drawer, deep in my mind’s repository and probably yours. It’s the kind of one-liner, conversation-ending advice you dispense when you just don’t know what to say in response to someone’s personal turmoil.
I first heard this verse when I wasn’t looking for it, and I chose the King James Version because of the beauty of the verse spoken this way. Sometimes the medium is the message. And sometimes the person is the message. These words spoken by someone who would confront evil itself and overcome it gave me unspeakable peace and joy. Knowing the magnitude of Christ’s sacrificial love gives dimension to words that could easily be reduced into mere folk wisdom.
I find myself particularly battling this kind of worry during Advent. Usually far more time is devoted to managing Christmas expectations in the form of shopping lists, menus, travel plans (not to mention all the work that will be piling up on my desk while I’m out for two weeks). The worries of one day roll over and compound “the morrow.” I am humbled by the fact that I cannot even begin to “do” Advent without God’s help, and I cannot begin to recognize or heed His wisdom but through His generous mercy and help.
Kate Becker
Kate is an active member of our vestry whose term comes to a close in 2017.
