For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. – Habakkuk 2:3
I am not sure if we can believe this but according to a survey (Google) Americans spend 37 billion hours waiting in line each year! The average Brit spends one year, two weeks, a day of their lives stuck in shop queues. Supermarket queues are one of the biggest culprits, taking up 29 minutes of their time each week, while the average person sits in traffic jams for a further hour. There is much more interesting data on this research. The author also said that waiting is fine if patience is your strong point, but for those people who are in a permanent rush, the time could be better spent elsewhere.
And then there are different kinds of waiting too… for most drivers, the waiting in traffic… for the traveller, waiting to move and reach their destination… for patients, the waiting for test results or diagnosis… for anxious parents, the waiting for their child to return on time… for those about to lose their jobs, waiting for that big announcement… for a pregnant woman, the birth of the baby… for a lover in a rendezvous, the meeting at the café or park or elsewhere… for the attendee, waiting for the event to begin… and so many more reasons…
Father Richard Rohr in his blog dated Dec 19, 2021, describes how St Francis of Assisi shaped Christianity’s celebration of Christmas. What are we waiting for? He said that in the first 1200 years of Christianity, the most prominent feast was Easter, the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. Then Francis entered the scene and felt we did not have to wait for God to love us through the cross. He popularised what we take for granted today as the great Christian feast of Christmas. It is said that the Christmas celebration started in Rome around 336, but it did not become a Christian festival until the 9th century, and the Christmas we know today has its origins in Victorian Britain. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was hardly celebrated, however by the end of the century, it had become the biggest annual celebration and took on the form that we recognize today. (Source: Google).
Father Rohr mentioned that St Francis went wild over Christmas, that he did not want to fast and sought even the walls to eat meat, and that every tree should be decorated with lights. Father Rohr teaches us that when we speak of Advent (Latin word: coming) or waiting and preparing for Christmas, we are not simply waiting for the baby Jesus to be born. That already happened two thousand years ago. We are forever welcoming the Universal Christ, the Cosmic Christ.
But if God has already come to us, what are we waiting for? Is it most likely that God is waiting for us to wake up? He says that it is possible we are the ones asleep in the manger, and God wants us to wake up. And He is waiting…waiting patiently! Also most importantly, the church is not waiting for Jesus to be born, we are waiting for Jesus’ second coming, for true justice and peace, for everything to be set right, confident that the One who holds all things in His Hand will return in triumph.
Advent marks the beginning of the church year, a time for reflection in darkness, for renewal of hope and a movement towards a beginning. That is why many of us take leave to give ourselves a break from the many months of gruelling work, haste, hurriedness and busyness. However, it is ironic that for some of us, it becomes the opposite. The shops scream … get in here… come… buy… be busy… eat more… show me the money…
In the beginning I make a resolution not to get caught up in the frenzy, but I end up being drawn to the fanfare. Waiting in the long queues for the sale items that promise to make me look and feel better, assuring I got the best gift for family and friends even if I must wait for an hour to find a parking spot.
The devil surely knows how to play with my emotions. Christmas can be a lonely time for some – and to avoid it, I want to be in the thick of the action, joining the long waiting queues… waiting… waiting… even for the restrooms to be available!
The time I could have profitably spent being quiet in prayer, reflecting… waiting for the right reason… in gratitude to Jesus … appreciating that the light will soon come despite the darkness, that sin is conquered, and we can again celebrate the True Source of Light.
Waiting for the Lord reminds us to trust and hope and not to do nothing, but to continue to fulfill our roles, ministries, and vocations as we have been called, all in the hope that the waiting will help us build patient endurance. Let us use our waiting as a building block, not a time waster… We all need to wait at certain times of our lives…. we can learn to wait and place some positive strategies while waiting, but for much of it – waiting patiently builds compassion… towards yourself and others. Be grateful you have TIME to wait.
A very blessed Christmas to everyone. May our confidence remain in Jesus as the essential source of Love, Life and Joy. Go gently, too, as you usher in the New Year! Thank you for your prayers and for supporting us at Philippine Times!
(For comments or feedback, email evamarie09@bigpond.com)
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