They Were Overwhelmed

Matthew 2:1-12 and Excerpts from “For Those Who Have Far to Travel” by

Jan Richardson

January 4, 2025

“I’m not wasting one more minute,” Hoda Kotb said in an interview about her journey. You might know her as one of the anchors of the Today Show’s Fourth Hour for many years, as a Dateline NBC correspondent, or because of her impressive reporting on segments in war torn areas, coverage of weather disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, a Peabody Award, four Emmy nominations. But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, she hadn’t yet gotten her big role. It was late that summer after years toiling, working long hours, giving up time with friends, thinking a promotion would come at some point but when Hoda Kotb was diagnosed she decided that she would take a risk: she directly asked NBC for the coveted “Today Show” fourth-hour host role. And well she got it.

I heard her share this recently on an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” and it struck me. She had been good enough for that job long before then. She had been ready for some time, but it wasn’t until a diagnosis that changed things, killed some of her plans, and clarified for her what she wanted to do with her right now. When cancer came and ended some of her dreams, changed the trajectory for her, she didn’t waste worrying about a no, instead she put herself out there for a yes! She didn’t wait until things were different or better or until she was closer to her perfect life, instead of being overwhelmed by what couldn’t be, instead she decided to grab a hold of life, to see this day as the one that will have sweetness. She didn’t delay, waiting for that one day, she went for the right now.

More than a decade ago, my father in law Tom was diagnosed with a form of chronic leukemia. He is fond of saying that it is in some ways, one of the best things that ever happened to him, compelling him to become a worldwide expert on death and dying, now committing himself to teaching and leading green burial movement on Orcas Island. He jokes that one day this is probably what will get him, but living with this diagnosis compelled

him to not waste one more minute… wishing life would be different than it is right now.

This story in the Gospel of Matthew feels like another ancient story that speaks to us in this moment. The ego driven ruler Herod is sending people out to hunt for fleeing refugees. Prone to fragility, he is afraid of a baby whom he fears could later gain political power, threatening to unite the Judean Kingdom. He has incited fear across the land, infused every part of life with uncertainty, it is overwhelming even to those who prepared. Nations are at war, dire predictions forecast a year unlike any in their lifetime…

And yet, the scripture tells us that even in that, in the midst of all of that hustle and hurry and worry, there was joy. In fact, it says some of them were overwhelmed with joy! Seeing the baby and seeing who came to help, who showed up, who surprised them by being there, all of it was pure goodness. And then just a few verses later the scripture says they were warned in a dream not to go home the same way they had come. They were told instead to go home by another way, so they listened. And as we heard from Jan Richardson this is one of the those times where the only way to get where they need to go is to be faithful to the next step, to be attentive to wonder, even amid the worry, to not need ten steps out, just the next right thing.

On a week when the US has started another war, in a time when we are off the map, when we can’t go home the same way we always have, how do we not become overwhelmed and instead remain faithful to the next step? How can we be attentive to wonder even amid the worry?

Today what feels important to say out loud, is this: let us not wait until things are different or better until we grab a hold of life. We cannot delay goodness or joy simply because Herod is horrible. We have given up so much and we can’t give up all of life’s sweetness too. We can’t let being overwhelmed, overwhelm our chance for joy! What if that is one of our invitations for 2026? Yes we have to go a different way than planned, but there are good things on this route too. What if joy is one of our signposts, something to follow like breadcrumbs leading us home by another way? Because Herod isn’t going anywhere for now and life is too short to wait. What if a key element of resistance to authoritarianism is to not giving up on our dreams, our hopes, our joy, to not let ourselves be overwhelmed, the zone has been flooded, we can’t keep up, that’s by design and yet, even in that, let there be joy. Even while Herod does what he does.

As Jan Richardson wrote, “In times like these we need to heed the signposts of our intuition and our dreams; to follow the signs meant for us, the ones only we will recognize…” And what if one of those signs is joy? What brings joy? What gives us joy individually and collectively? We only need to be faithful just to the next step, and thank God because needing to figure out the whole path feels like too much.

Beloved of God, what do you feel called to do with the invitation to not waste one more minute? What does this moment offer us? Even though we have to go home by a different way? What might be possible if we stopped delaying? The reminder not to delay joy. That’s what my dear friend Kim taught me last year. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and having been friends for a long time when I asked what would be helpful, she told me that I could come and be with her for one of her treatments. I felt privileged even though I had no idea what I was supposed to do or say or any of it. I also felt tentative. At other times in life, I might have avoided even asking because I was worried about not doing it right, but not this year. Life’s too short. I decided avoiding something because I was worried about doing it wrong, wasn’t what I wanted. This year instead showing up imperfectly was what I wanted to do. The gift of this year is remembering not to delay things we want to say or do. Kim wanted to tell me and anyone who would listen that we cannot, must not, postpone life’s precious encounters, even while Herod does what he does.

In times when some dreams have been killed, when we must go a different way than planned, how do we not let ourselves become overwhelmed?How do we carry on doing it imperfectly, the things that bring us joy? How do we not postpone life’s goodness, waiting until “as soon as” when as soon as might not come. We must not wait for things to be different to seize this gift of now. Even right now, with what is, how do we keep an open eye for the wonders that attend the path? We listen! We follow the joy! We follow the signposts! How do we not become overwhelmed and instead say: “I’m not wasting one more minute!”

Beloved of God, even while Herod does what he does, in 2026 let us not become overwhelmed, let us keep an open eye for the wonders that attend the path. Let us not waste one minute! Follow the joy! May it be so. Amen.