R&V In the Word: Plants and Animals Bear Witness

Read Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

Look at the birds of the air… See how the flowers of the field grow.

Matthew 6:26, 28 NIV

In moments when the sorrows and struggles of the world seem to weigh especially heavy, I like to take the dogs for a walk. They are creatures of habit who race to the same storm drain and chase each other around the same field every single time we leave the house. You can tell by their faces and tails and the extra trot in their step that they’re just happy to be here, with me, in this world.

I try to take their lead as they drag me around the neighborhood. I look for mushrooms underneath the maple trees. I admire the lawns and shaded places along our walk. I steer them away from poison ivy along the trail. As we go, I try to take measured breaths, to be present to this moment, this time in the woods or on the road, witness to the changing sky and constant growth.

Having worked out my worry through praying and contemplating all the Lord holds together around me, I come home lighter.

During part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers comfort to those who struggle with worry and anxiety, which, if we’re being honest, is most of us, most of the time. It’s a normal human emotion, anxiety, and yet today it has a tendency to dominate our lives. 

“Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus announces, and someone in the back calls out, “Psh! Sure, okay, have you ever tried to not do something? Don’t think about apples. What are you thinking about? Apples.”

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t leave us with a simple admonition not to worry. He isn’t Bob Marley.

When worry and anxiety weigh down on us, Jesus invites us to look beyond ourselves.

Look at the animal kingdom, not just the birds of the air but the lions and octopuses, the rodents and starfish and worms, see how that kingdom has been cared for since before the dawn of humanity? That was God’s doing, and he’s going to keep on caring for it. How much more will he care for you?

Look at the plant kingdom, that broad and diverse part of our world that gets its energy from the sun—the oak trees and dandelions and hydrangeas and every single blade of grass—do you see how that kingdom has been decorated with the finest array of colors and beauty, cared for by God for millennia prior to man’s first job description granted in the garden? How much more does he hold all things in humanity together?

Jesus never leaves us with simple or trite instructions about our existence. Instead, he invites us to enter into the grander story. Observe how the narrative God is writing began long before you existed and will continue long after you’ve passed away. 

My dogs and our routine walks are a daily opportunity to remember my place in the story and to right-size my worries. God holds all things together—plants, animals, people—and will continue to do so, lovingly tending to both the minute and the magnificent.

Points of Reflection

1. How can you incorporate moments of mindfulness and presence into your daily routine to help alleviate worry and anxiety?
2. What ways can you remind yourself of God’s care and provision during times of anxiety and stress?

For the Kids

1. What are some things in your own backyard that you notice? How do they remind you of God’s care and love?
2. How can you remember that God takes care of you when you feel worried or scared?

Action

Throughout Scripture, biblical characters went into the wilderness, up a mountain, into a garden, or into other solitary, natural places to encounter God. Adam and Eve encountered God while walking in the garden. Moses encountered God in the burning bush, in the wilderness, and on the top of a mountain. Elijah encountered God on a mountain. Jesus sought his Father in solitary places in the wilderness. God seems to have hard-wired humans for finding spiritual connections and solace in the natural world. Do you have a sacred place in nature where you can go to reflect and be restored? It doesn’t have to be far away or exotic—mine is our backyard deck surrounded by trees—it just needs to be a place where you feel safe and open to experiencing the awe and wonder of God, pointed to by creation. Identify that space and make a commitment to yourself to visit that space regularly, perhaps even block off time in your calendar weekly or monthly to go there.

Readings

When you head out into your sacred place in nature, you might consider taking your favorite nature writer along with you, someone like Annie Dillard or Brian Doyle, Scott Russell Sanders or Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver or Thomas Merton. Choose someone who can help open the eye of your soul to the love of God woven throughout creation. Let their words echo off the water and reverberate through the woods.