Essential

Seek first the kingdom of God

and God’s righteousness

and all these things will be added to you

Alleluia

This song has been running through my head lately. It has a nice pace for my walks, and puts me in a meditative space. I have always thought of it as a long-term thing, something around which to shape a life. Seek God’s kingdom as a trajectory. And that is still true, but today I was struck that it works to shape our days, as well. Each day. Wake up, seek God’s kingdom. And the rest will follow.

“Essential” is a word that is tossed around a lot these days. Essential workers, essential travel, essential activities. What we consider “essential” may not be considered so by others. For me, what is essential is shaping my days and my life around love. Love of God, love of others. It has real effects on where I go, what I do, how I do it.

If you woke up every day seeking God’s kingdom first, what would be essential for you? What activities, what travel, what work? How might we begin to shape our COVID and post-COVID lives around what is truly essential?