Jesus Taught Trust, Not Anxiety About Tomorrow

As we prepare to commemorate the 250^th Birthday of the United States, I’ve been having fun reminiscing about the Bicentennial celebrations from 1976, by re-watching the news coverage of the celebrations on July 4^th, the “Bicentennial Minute” segments that appeared on the nightly news, & reading about the American Freedom Train, which was a traveling museum that visited Topeka in 1976.

Aside: Did you hear the quip about President Benjamin Franklin? It was a politically incorrect joke. (Since Franklin was never President, shouldn’t it be considered a historically incorrect joke? – Editor. Um. Let’s just move on – DL.)

It’s also been interesting perusing some of the headlines & worries of 1976. Consider the following topics:

• Economy: The rate of inflation became a common headline when it reached 14.8%. Gasoline prices were erratic & consumers even faced rationing. (If your license plate ended in an odd number, you could only buy gas on odd-numbered days. If your license plate ended in an even number, you could only buy gas on even-numbered days.) Technological advances & the advent of computers were threatening to eliminate jobs & reduce human ingenuity/creativity.

Aside: In 1976 you could go to a gas station & fill your tires with air for free. Now, it’s $1.00. Yep–inflation has gotten more expensive.

• Foreign Affairs: With the aftermath of the Vietnam War, ongoing Cold War tensions with an aggressive Soviet Union, & the violent turmoil in the Middle East, people were lamenting our country’s standing in the global arena.
• Unity: There was a great deal of concern that the U.S. was unraveling. Political violence dominated the headlines of the early 1970’s from various political assassination attempts, kidnappings of prominent public figures, to the bombings of government buildings ranging from Army recruiting offices to the U.S. Capitol. (During a 2-year period, radicals like the Weather Underground, etc. would set off over 2,500 bombs in the U.S.) The American Dream genuinely seemed to be in jeopardy.

If one were to read about the 1976 version of America in history books, one could reasonably ask, “I wonder if the nation survived this era?”  (Spoiler Alert: Yes. Yes, we did!)

As we compare 1976 to today’s headlines, it becomes quickly apparent that we aren’t really living in some unique time period of history. Our musical playlists may have expanded to 8,000 options instead of just two (AM or FM), Quarter Zip Pullovers may have replaced Leisure Suits, & we may no longer need to frantically scream, “It’s a long-distance call,” throughout the house, but our list of worries really hasn’t changed much in 50 years.

Maybe that’s why Jesus urges us to not worry. He isn’t saying that we’ll have nothing to worry about; He knows full well that isn’t true. But Jesus is saying that we shouldn’t let our worries consume our everyday living.

I would submit Jesus is trying to help us re-frame our perspective about worrying. If we set the standard that the only time we can enjoy life is when we have a worry-free environment, then we will never, ever have peace. On the other hand, if we look at worries as a minor part of our day-to-day routine, something to briefly ponder & then move on, then we can begin to experience a life that God hopes for each & every one of His children.

We’ll wrap up with a comic strip from 1976 that my Mom clipped out of the newspaper to put in my scrapbook. Benjamin Franklin & George Washington are looking at Betsy Ross as she stitches the U.S. flag. George asks Ben, “What do you think?” Ben replies, “It’s sew-sew, George.” The final panel shows Ben locked in a stockade saying, “I guess George isn’t a fan of puns.” Per Mom’s notation in the scrapbook, “Darren John told this joke over & over & over.” While I would contend that Mom’s inclusion of the third “over” was a tad inaccurate, I’m proud that my humor has become far more nuanced & sophisticated since then. (Um. Let’s just move on, Darren John! – Editor.)