I find it difficult to live in 2022 without being a bit impatient. Technology has conditioned me to expect immediate answers. If I need to know the answer to something, I Google it. If I need to look up a word when reading on my Kindle, I tap my finger to the word, and the definition appears instantly. When driving, people will honk at me if I don’t accelerate within a nanosecond of the light turning green. These are superficial examples.
But there are more complex ones. How can we not be impatient for peace when we read of one more mass shooting or consider the war in Ukraine? How can we not yearn for justice for those whose voices are squelched? How can we not be impatient for the truth to be told in the midst of lies?
This is the tension of Advent. It’s difficult to be immersed in Church life and not deal with tension. There’s the already-not yet tension of God’s kingdom partially realized on earth and hardly here in full glory. We carry the image of God, and yet we sin, and so we must journey towards growing more and more into the likeness of God. The entire Church year is an exploration of theological tensions and resolutions.
I admit that I find it difficult to wait. As a former mentor of mine said, I’m impatient for the sake of the Gospel. That’s not a bad thing, if you ask me. We rightly honor the urgency of proclaiming the good news in an age when so many things seem to be working against it. Since coming to Good Shepherd, I have felt the urgency of making haste to grow this parish, move towards greater financial health, and boldly emerge from the cloud of past turmoil.
And yet. . . Advent waiting is more than a guilt-ridden attempt to temper our impatience. Advent waiting is a gift that can allow us to remember that, ultimately, God is in charge. God’s time does not correspond to the urgency of the chronological time we inhabit. This is no excuse to rest on our laurels and support so-called Church decline. Advent waiting is an invitation to let God surprise us with his grace.
I cannot recount how many times I have seen that happen here at Good Shepherd. Waiting on God to act is humbling, and it is one of the most helpful counters to our Pelagian tendencies. When I have felt that we are not growing quickly enough or that we don’t have enough money or resources to move forward, I have always been surprised. New faces have appeared in our midst, eager to be a part of life in this parish. God sent them here; I had nothing to do with it. When I weather a frustrating day, inevitably a thoughtful email or phone call appears. It’s a seemingly small thing, but I’ve learned to be more patient and to look expectantly for these surprising graces from God. In those ways, God encourages us and pushes us along. I wonder how God is doing the same with you.
Some of our Christmas trees may already be up at home. We are purchasing gifts and making travel plans for Christmas. I understand, because fighting “secular culture” is not always the most helpful thing. But inside the Church, we will wait on the Christmas carols. The Christmas trees will not go up until next Friday. And the baby will not be placed in the crèche until the First Mass of Christmas. We will learn to wait on God, because the most surprising blessings happen in that way, if we can wait on them with hopeful expectation.
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle