High Anxiety
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.” That little phrase touches many hearts immediately. We all know fear, we all would rather not have it. His teaching has shaped our culture for centuries. Nevertheless, we have a severe and growing anxiety problem in this country, and it is hitting our children, teens and young adults hardest of all.
Last fall, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt published “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” He documents what he calls a “surge of suffering” among young teens that began to take off in 2011. Rates of mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression, have more than doubled, up to almost 30% of girls by 2020, as we got to the pandemic.
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Prayer Shapes Us
We rejoin Jesus this morning just after he told Martha that her sister, Mary, had “chosen the better part” in listening to him. The very next line in Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus went to a certain place to pray, choosing “the better part” of time with his Father for himself.
His disciples then ask him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” On one level, that seems unnecessary. Prayer is simply talking to God, aiming our spoken or unspoken prayers to him. So, do that.
When people hear that I was a CPA for 12.5 years and changed careers soon after making partner in our firm, they tend to have one of two reactions. Either they think it sounds very noble, or they think I was crazy. I’m not sure about that, but it was very painful and became a critical time of prayer.
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A Right Heart
This morning’s Gospel immediately brings to mind the hundreds of holidays, birthdays and other celebrations, even regular family meals, where my wife and/or my mother sacrificed hours of preparation to make sure that everyone was fed well and having a joyful time.
That makes this Gospel feel like dangerous ground, so we must stipulate up front that there is nothing in this Gospel that dishonors that very loving gift of hospitality. It’s central to our bonds of family, friendships and the life of our church.
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