Man Oh Manna

Just try to keep up, son!

How is it that some of the most provocative and revolutionary ideas are some of the oldest that we have? I was reminded of this truth today as I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by the author of The Irresistible Revolution and Jesus For President, Shane Claiborne.

Some of you may have read or heard of Shane Claiborne before and can attest to his fantastic ability to communicate. Often his most inflammatory statements are somehow sweetened by his charming Southern drawl and his joyful personality. As revolutionary and inspiring as he may be, however, the simple reality is that his ideas are old. Really old!

Buckle up, kids. It's freakin' story time!

For example, Shane told the old Exodus story involving bread from heaven, wandering ex-slaves, and a really powerful and loving God. (Quick Bible History Lesson: The Hebrew slaves had finally been released from the clutches of Egyptian slavery through the mighty acts of God, and were now wandering through the wilderness with hopes of the Promised Land. In their wandering, they began to fear that Moses had led them from Egypt only to die of hunger in the desert. God hears the cries of his people and responds by sending bread from heaven, called "Manna." This bread was sent, however, with a command. "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day." If they gathered more than needed, their storage of Manna would be filled with maggots.)

This may be an old story, but it is still a revolutionary and challenging concept. God invites this community to take what they need and trust that there will be enough for tomorrow.

Now here is the truth, living with a wandering group of nomads in a place where bread rains from heaven every morning is a bit different from living in America in the 21st Century. There is a wisdom and stewardship that aligns with proper savings and storage. But be that as it may, there is still an underlying message here that will always be relevant for the hearts of humankind. We have a strong tendency to believe that "there is not enough." Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough resources. Not enough! And it is this fear of scarcity that leads to our tightened grips, our lack of sharing, our fear of the future, and our general anxiety with life. 

"Oh no! Do I have enough time to finish this blog!?"

Let's make it plain. If you are reading this blog, I am guessing in one way or another you are worrying about what's next... not with my blog, but with your life. I have friends buying homes, starting churches, moving to new cities, and I am pretty sure that all of them are asking themselves similar questions.

"Can we afford this?"

"Is this the right decision?"

"How am I going to make enough money?"

"What am I supposed to do with my life?"

And on and on and on... 

These questions plague us and fill our sleepless nights with dread. The wandering Hebrew people were probably asking similar questions. What did we do? What is next? What if we run out?

What do you think it would it be like to let these questions go? What would it take to let them go? What if we understood that the answers to these questions would not free us of our worry, but, at best, redirect it?

This Exodus story invites us into a way of living that defies these worrisome questions. It prescribes a life of trust. It is not a health and wealth Gospel (just believe and you'll have all that you desire), nor is it a life void of responsibility. "Everyday" we are to "gather enough for that day." No more and no less.

So, I guess the next time your heart if filling with these questions of dread and worry, ask yourself, "Have I gathered what I need for today?" If your answer is, "yes," then what have you got to be so worried about?!

Yeah. Calm down, dummy.