Read Matthew 6:25-34; 19:13-15.

    Most of us live too fast. We barrel down the road to work or to an appointment, preoccupied with what we’re going to do or say when we get there. The world is a blur at seventy miles an hour, details are blended into a pulp. Even when we get out on our feet, many of us run; not walk. Running gives you more exercise in less time, the experts say. Do more in less time — the story of our lives.

    Jesus walked. I guess that’s why he could preach about birds and flowers. There was time, not only to enjoy the details of his world, but to learn from natural things. He said:

“Look at the birds of the air... Your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

    Or again:

“And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin but I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.”

Jesus had time to stop and talk.

    Jesus stopped and considered what we think of as unimportant things — sparrows and common field flowers. And he noticed people, too. People weren’t faceless things to him. Jesus had time to stop and talk. His life condemns ours because of it’s serenity. Even though his work would have cosmic consequences, he still could stop and say:

“Allow the little children to come to me.”