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| Do not worry about your food! Payment in kind. It may not buy school uniforms, but it does feed the family. |
Before we
moved to Warrnambool, we lived in an area of Melbourne which was a hive of
ethical activity. Our clothes were locally made or from the op shop. We rode
our bikes to buy direct trade coffee, then ducked into organic wholefoods for
some ethical groceries. What we couldn’t buy there, we’d get at the IGA, after
checking each company against our sustainable supermarket guide. We grew our
greens and herbs; experimented with Community Supported Agriculture, but got
sick of all those potatoes; so opted into a local veggie box instead. Our honey
came from local hives; our socks were made in Brunswick; we purchased gifts
from local artisans; our
furniture was second hand. Even our house renovation appeared in a green
architecture magazine. There were times when we were so ethical, it makes me
sick. Of course, we lived this way because we were trying to be followers of
Jesus—and because we were surrounded by people also seeking to live more sustainably, the critical mass made it easy. But every now and then, or maybe quite a lot, I’d feel someone, probably
me, rolling her eyes because a coffee wasn’t fair, or a chair was from IKEA, or
the eggs were from battery hens—and I’d wonder if I’d missed the point.
In
tonight’s passage, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what they eat,
drink, wear and consume. Ten years ago, I would have reminded you that his
words were directed to people living at subsistence level: a bad crop, an army
raid, a new tax, or the death of a labourer could mean starvation. To these
people, banding together and living into God’s culture, sharing what little
they had, was good economics; it might mean giving away the last of your
barley, but also receiving a bag of onions when you need it. And it’s probably
good economics for sweatshop workers in Bangladesh, and rubbish pickers in
Bombay, and tomato pickers in California, today—particularly if cooperation leads
to a mass movement and a change in migration, environmental or labour laws.
Ten years
ago, I would then have pointed out that we are a different audience. Our
patterns of consumption have an enormous impact on the earth and on the people
who produce the things that we buy. So when Jesus says “Do not worry” about
what you will consume, I would have noted that these words are followed by “strive
first for God’s priorities.” And, since God made and loves the earth and all
that is in it, this means finding ways to live mindfully and sustainably, so
that our consumption—our eating, drinking, wearing, and consuming—does not
pollute the earth, dishonour animals, or exploit the work of human hands. And I
still think this is true.
However, the
reality is that when we try to live out God’s economy through ethical
consumption, we still participate in the very systems that have led us to this
point. We remain consumers, but now with the risk of a judgemental, sanctimonious,
legalistic overlay. As the saying goes, everybody knows that we are vegan. The
thing is, Jesus is not calling us to a new set of rules, or a new way to
distinguish between ethical and unethical living. We are not called to live
justly in order to do the right thing or to meet any external criteria; and if
our ethics mean that we become judgemental of other people’s choices, or of
ourselves when we cannot meet our own high standards; if we become complacent, or
unable to accept hospitality because of our self-imposed rules for living:
well, then we have missed the point.
Because
Jesus is calling us to live with open hearts. And so we live justly because we
love God’s earth and God’s people, and we can’t bear to see them hurt through
our selfish choices. We live justly because we understand that we are in
relationship even with those people whose hands have sewn our shirts and picked
our carrots, or whose streams are polluted by our desire for cheap goods. We
live justly out of love.
It is in
this context that Jesus says, “Do not worry. God knows what you need, and will
take care of you.” Don’t exploit people through your selfish choices—but live
with an open heart. Accept the gifts that are given to
you, even if they offend your ethical standards: for in this way you learn to
accept God’s gracious provision, the provision that is made out of love. For we
are all entangled in sin and always will be: sins of greed, envy, and desire;
sins of environmental degradation, cheap goods, and exploited labour; sins of
self-righteousness and complacency. By our own efforts, there is nothing we can
do which will set us free us from these sins. They are too big, and too
pervasive. But in Christ, we can “strive for God’s culture,” knowing that everything
else will be taken care of.
And what is
this culture like? Well, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like a
party. In other words, it’s generous, hospitable, and relaxed. All sorts of
people, with all sorts of values, are invited. In God’s kingdom, we welcome
them all, opening up the cupboards and sharing what we have. We glimpse this kingdom when we eat together after the service, sharing food and stories. The kingdom is found telling jokes over the dishes. It’s weeping
when others weep, and laughing when others laugh, and praying when others need
a prayer. It’s about opening our lives to one another, and together seeking a
world where all might participate in God’s economy. In this kingdom, there’s always
more than enough love to go around: and when we live in this spirit together, everything else that we need—right down to our food and clothes—will be taken
care of, too.
As God’s
faithful servants, we are called to do what we can to bring this world into
being; and we are called to model this world among us by eating and drinking
together, and by sharing what we have and who we are. And we are promised that
when we live like this, Jesus Christ will be among us. So live freely! Don’t be
anxious! Don’t worry! And do not judge!
Instead,
join with others and live into God’s economy. Be content with what you have,
place your trust in the Living God, share what you can, and let go of
your anxiety. God knows what you need, and will provide for you always. And if
God clothes even the wildflowers with such extravagance and beauty, you can
expect not just the things you need, but beauty and a wild abundance. Amen. Ω
A reflection Matthew 6:24-34, given to Sanctuary, 26 February 2017
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