This message was written for my congregation - First Presbyterian Church of Saline - and is posted here for posterity.
This week alone I’ve watched several vehicles not even slow down for a stop sign, but roll right through it. They were all turning onto another road, except for one that didn’t want to stop for pedestrians right in front of Target and almost hit a man who had just crossed their lane.
After I sifted through the frustration, I asked myself, “Where is this coming from?” I think we have a crisis of patience. We don’t know how to wait for things much anymore, whether a stop at a stop sign, a traffic light, or a cautious driver on snowy roads (that’s me, for sure!). News cycles go increasingly fast, with more news stories available constantly. Social media changes every few minutes so we’re drawn back to check the feed regularly. In a recent morning trip to a local café, as I sat reading and studying for the sermon, the music accompanying my coffee was the ping of constant notifications on people’s phones. Last week I noticed that standing near the microwave waiting for the last 30 seconds seems like much longer of a time than it used to be. We have become accustomed to things happening right away, no waiting or patience required.
This week I am going to pivot a bit for the first of what I imagine will be many suggestions on things we can do which are counter-cultural and which will help us cope with everything going on in our country. They are counter-cultural because they are in opposition to what we’re being pushed towards.
I continue to learn how to adjust and deal with the situation in our country while maintaining my own sanity and deepening my coping skills. I’m also coming around to the realization that patience is a key virtue for our time. Expanding our ability to be patient will be instrumental to our growth, our tolerance, and our long-term health. Patience allows us to step back out of the fray and truly see what’s going on. Patience gives us time to wrestle with our feelings and grace to assess and choose the best response. Patience takes into account the others around us, whereas moving too quickly makes it much more about us and our immediate needs. The speed at which the Republican administration is moving demonstrates a very self-centered agenda that is unable and unwilling to take into account the broad impact and effect of their actions on the country and the world.
What other gifts does patience give us if we seek to expand it? Patience provides the opportunity to:
see beauty
appreciate our current moment in life
breathe deeply and know how we’re feeling
stay more true to ourselves
catch visions of hope
recognize the goodness in the people around us
discern a good response to events around us
operate from a truly balanced and centered place
listen to God
LISTEN TO GOD
Perhaps the last one, which yes, I repeated twice, is of primary importance to a pastor, AND the others ahead of it help us get there to where we can listen to God. A lack of patience and a determination to move just as fast as we can means we blow by all of the good things. We blow by our hopes and dreams, the beauty around us, and the still small voice of God calling to us. Can God speak in big voices? Of course – but it tends to disrupt us in large ways, rather than us stilling our own minds and hearts and listening in patience.
Some would push back – to say that if we’re too patient we won’t act and respond quickly enough. I disagree. I think that patience is relative to the situation. Patience at a stop sign means that I can take 7-10 seconds to stop the car, ensure that the way is clear, and then proceed. Patience when we’re frustrated with the frantic and disheartening news cycle means that we might take 5 minutes to stop, sit quietly with some music playing, and either pray or read a short piece of Scripture. Patience when we’re thinking about a big decision might mean taking more time, doing more research, and sitting with our options before we act. Patience does have a cost, but it’s worth it, and it brings far better decisions for our lives and health for our souls.
So this week, I encourage you to assess your level of patience – and be encouraged by the reality that it is an important gift to us, despite the constant pressure of our culture. If you go back to the fables, slow and steady wins the race. It’s patience, perseverance, and hope that matter a lot in this season. So slow down, take the time to appreciate what’s wonderful in the current moment, and see how that helps. I had a lovely smile fest with a baby in the café the other morning – and that really ministered to my soul. I wonder what could be ministering to your soul…
Yorumlar