In yonder valley there flows sweet union
Let us arise and drink our fill
The winter's passed and the spring appears
The turtle dove is in our land
In yonder valley there flows sweet union
Let us arise and drink our fill
It is a paraphrase of part of the Song of Songs, an ancient Hebrew love poem that is in the bible but rarely read in church. Traditionally, this poem has been understood to refer to the love between God and humanity, or between Christ and the Church. It is a favorite of mystics and romantic souls. Like the hymn written by the Shakers, it awakens our imagination of the ideal Kingdom of God. There is a place for us, our beginning and our end, a verdant valley that is our destiny as people of God.
In the Gospel lesson for this upcoming Sunday Jesus gives us an extremely difficult command: "do not worry about your life" (Matthew 6:25). He tells us that God loves and cherishes us, and just as he provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, he will also provide for us. God knows what need. "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (6:33).
And yet we are people addicted to worry. Worry has become fashionable--a show of dedication and concern for those things and people important to us. The nightly news is full of stories of local tragedy and dangerous consumer products. "What you need to know about killer waffle irons: Live at Five." It is profoundly counter-cultural to not worry about our lives. This is precisely what Jesus asks us to do. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today" (6:34).
I know only a handful of people that have successfully implemented that teaching. For the rest of us, getting to that place of not-worrying that Jesus preaches can be accomplished in part, I believe, by focusing on the vision of Kingdom of God promised to us. "In yonder valley there is sweet union." "Consider the lilies of the field..." This world is not the end for us. No matter what our conditions now, no matter what happens today or tomorrow, our God of promise has prepared a place for us of beauty, comfort, and love. Like the Israelites going through the desert, we can expect this path to be full of pebbles, dust, and occasional heartache, but our God is faithful and we will come to the promised land.
Holy God, you promise your children abundant blessings of peace and union in your kingdom, bless now with a renewed vision of the place you have prepared for us. Allow the sweet visions of your kingdom to preserve our hope and dispel our worry. We ask this in the Name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Tay
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