If I Knew

If I had some way of knowing that I was going to die tomorrow, what would I be doing today? Such imminence doesn’t really allow for the creation of a bucket list. It would barely allow time to gather the family—indeed, this late in the day it would be almost impossible as scattered as we’ve become. Depending on how early today I learned of my impending demise, I probably would have not come to work (I just love the bumper sticker at my work station which exclaims, “I Used Up All My Sick Days SO I CALLED IN DEAD”). Even if I had a full twenty-four hours notice, that really would not allow the time necessary to get all my things in order. What I find intriguing about this scenario is that it—in the most general sense—is actually so. I have absolutely no way of knowing when I will draw my last breath, and so I find myself in a position of truly having to regard each day as my last. If any scholars read this blog I would probably be challenged on my contention that this is the very mindset of Jesus when he reportedly said, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34, NRSV) The entire passage of Matthew 6:29 through 7:5 is well worth reading because Jesus elaborates on what life is really all about: “But strive first for the Kingdom of God.” I am keenly aware of how hokey this Kingdom of God business is for the generation that declared God is dead, but I’m also just gullible enough to believe that our not taking the proposition seriously is the cause of human woe.