There is often a belief that Australians tend to overpack when they go on a trip. Especially when going overseas we seek to forsee whatever we may encounter along the way. We aim to cover the eventuality that we are aware of the climate in which we find ourselves. We can adopt this attitude, especially in times of uncertainty when we seek to predict what the future will hold. This can even be as simple as looking forward to the next weekend or seeking to secure a house or plan for our retirement.
Thus the gospel of the weekend seeks to disturb us that Jesus invites us to take just the clothes we are standing in on the trip we will make. This reliance on the providence of God for our immediate needs can surprise and confound us. This is not how the modern pace of life meets us because we are called to be prudent and risk-averse. Especially in an age where people are called to plan their financial future and are presented with cost of living pressures, this attitude seems to be reckless or foolhardy. Yet each day we face as it comes.
So how do we take this gospel to heart? Jesus teaches us to meet others as people who already possess the wisdom and insight into our daily needs. This way of being seeks to provide what is needed for today. It shows how we can be present to God as we are not as we think we are. This way of being present allows us to focus on what is needed for today rather than being unreasonably worried about what the future may bring. This focus calls us to do what we can and not what we cannot do. It is not a way of avoiding our responsibilities to plan for the future but this is often dictated by what we can do in the present. We can only attend to what today may bring and allow God to guide us to make good choices.
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