Recently, I was reading the Bible and thinking about Bob Marley. In the parable of the four soils, Jesus describes worry as one of the things that thwarts our spiritual growth (the other thing he cites as a problem is pleasure, which is a post for another day). A few chapters later, he commands his disciples not to worry yet again. For a moment, Jesus seemed to be anticipating Bob Marley ("Don't worry about a thing"), Bobby McFaran ("Don't Worry Be Happy"), Disney ("Hakuna Matata"—"it means no worries"), and Pharrell Williams ("Happy"). But even as the catchy tunes came to mind, I am struck again by the depth of Jesus' wisdom in contrast to our cultural gurus.
A simple Google search of "stress rates in America" pulls links to dozens of articles detailing workplace stress, teen stress, stress among obese people, stress among children, mothers, fathers, and on down the list. A 2010 report by the American Psychological Association found that the majority of Americans live with a moderate to high level of stress. These songs strike a chord because we want to be able to shrug away our worries. We want happiness. But pop culture doesn't give us any reason why we shouldn't worry or any ideas of how we might let go of our stress. In contrast, Jesus doesn't simply command us not to worry, but he also gives a reason why we need not worry, and he gives us a way to achieve that command. Luke 12:22-32 is a familiar passage, but it bears rereading:
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