Striving for the Kingdom of God

Thursday, May 19, 2006 -- Week of 5 Easter

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 963)
Psalms [70], 71 (morning) // 74 (afternoon)
Leviticus 19:26-37
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Matthew 6:25-34

This is one of those days when I miss the King James Version. There are some beloved verses from that literary masterpiece that stay in my memory with the power of great poetry. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." My NRSV renders it "Strive first for the kingdom of God..." Both phrases work. The first (KJ) is more poetic. But the second helps correct the notion that looking for the kingdom of God is like seeking for a lost object -- "button, button, who's got the button." In many places Jesus says that we must strive -- work for, work with -- to cooperate with the inbreaking kingdom. We have a part to contribute to God's reign.

That's particularly important when we read the comforting passages inviting us not to worry or be anxious about "what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear... But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

It is manifestly true that many people do in fact worry about what they will eat or drink because they live in such extreme poverty that these things are. This year more than eight million people will die because they are too poor to stay alive. Eight million! This year. And last year. And next year. To say "don't worry about what you will eat or what you will drink" is an offensive platitude.

It is an offensive platitude unless we include the bottom line of this passage -- "strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." If we were all striving for the kingdom of God as our first and governing priority, then we would be striving to eliminate the kind of grinding poverty that results in the worry of looming starvation.

Our generation has a practical, workable blueprint to respond to the Sermon on the Mount. We can eliminate grinding poverty in our lifetime. We have the means, resources, and the technology to do that. We even have the authorizing legislation -- the "Millennium Development Goals" -- which the United States has agreed to along with most of the rest of the world. I'm going to be teaching about the Millennium Development Goals in my next few week's Sunday School class.

If our generation were to strive first for the kingdom of God we could cooperate with God to fulfill the dream of the Sermon on the Mount that no one would have to worry about starvation or death from preventable diseases. God has given our planet abundant resources to allow all of our children to thrive. God needs our help in the distribution of these resources. If we will cooperate by helping our global neighbors get on the first rung of the economic ladder, they'll be able to climb and to create prosperity and more security for themselves and their children. But we've got to seek that vision. We've got to strive for the kingdom of God. God needs our help to do what is right.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas