Do you Worry about the Future? June 19

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Acts 1:1-14; Luke 20:9-19

Fourteen years ago this summer, Anne and I traveled to Northern Spain to walk sections of the Camino de Santiago. I had taken the youth from the Church of the Holy Communion in Memphis, Tennessee the summer before and I was eager to go back with more time and freedom at my disposal. This time, we did things a little differently. While I made train reservations and hotel reservations in Santiago, we did not book our places to stay along the path. Instead, we trusted in the system of hostels along the path, finding a place to stay at the end of each day.

Anne and I approached our pilgrimage in two very different ways. I found myself anxious that the beds would fill up and so I pushed our trip at a faster pace than we should have, often walking a pace or two ahead of Anne. This story has become a running joke in our family. Anne who was comfortable enjoying the moment, and me rushing ahead to the finish line often missing out on the beautiful gift of just being on the journey in the first place, approaching life in two very different ways.

While intuitively I knew that the pilgrimage is really about the journey and not the destination, my own anxiety kept me from living into this reality.  Today’s Epistle is the beginning of the book of Acts. It begins with Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The apostles are gathered around and they are concerned about when the Lord will restore God’s kingdom. Jesus reminds them, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Not surprisingly, they have a tough time living into this vision.  Some of the epistles address this, their belief that Jesus is coming back and so they fail to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Anxiety about the future has always existed. And yet Jesus’s word to his friends in Acts is a timeless reminder that our job is not to worry about the future, but for us to be witnesses to God’s love. The question for each of us is “Do we trust in the words of Jesus enough to let go of our desire to know the future?” No matter what happens tomorrow, we can still be witnesses to God’s love, hope, and resurrection.

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Does anxiety about the future affect your life?  How can prayer and faith change that?

 Daily Challenge:  Consider the Serenity Prayer as source of help.