Today’s Word from Pastor Jim
I called customer service and received an automated response. It seemed that all the customer service agents were helping other clients. After being told how important my business was to their company, the automated voice told me that the average wait time would be approximately 11 minutes. What’s 11 minutes out of my life? Besides, if I called back later or tomorrow the hold time could be longer. I kept my place in line. I paced patiently in this earthy purgatory for the next 32 minutes. Fortunately, the customer service agent who ultimately helped me was outstanding.
Waiting and preparing: the themes of Advent.
Did you know that the average American in their lifetime will be on hold for……..wait for it…….. 43 days. The waiting does not end there. 43 days on hold, 38 hours every year waiting in traffic, countless weeks waiting for medical appointments, test results, or surgeries. I could find no statistics on ferry line waits but suffice it to say that waiting for ferries is part of the rhythm of island life.
Sometimes we just have to wait. Acknowledging our lack of control and claiming our inability to speed up time, there is little to do but to wait. The Jewish people had waited for the coming of the promised Messiah. Mary waited for the first signs of labor while Joseph waited to hand out cigars, pink and blue bands just to be safe. Cub fans had to wait 108 years for a World Series Championship. Mariner fans are still waiting.
We detest waiting so much that we have devised vehicles to disguise the agony. The Advent Wreath marks our approach to Christmas. The waiting is not diminished, but each week the light of an additional candle offers us hope; hope that our waiting will give way to the promised arrival of the Christmas Child. When all four candles are lit, we know that the dawn of Christmas is near, and we will be rewarded for our waiting. The Advent Calendar serves the same function as each day a new lesson or treat is revealed. Slowly but surely, we move one day closer to the celebration of Christmas, marking progress as we go.
Waiting and preparing: the themes of Advent
Truth be told, most of us would rather prepare than wait. So, we distract ourselves with endless preparations for Christmas. We decorate and bake, send cards and buy presents. We shop on Black Friday, cyber-Monday and nearly every day is marketed as “the biggest sale of the year.” We trim the tree, we go Christmas caroling, we cry one more time while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” and we try to figure out once again what is going on in the Nutcracker. We plan special meals, host parties, and make travel plans. More than distracting, “the most wonderful time of the year” is exhausting.
Though I detest waiting, I do love Advent. Time honored traditions summon dormant memories from the past and the promised birth of a child ushers in a new year and a new season of hope. May God give us renewed hope this year. May God bless us in our waiting and may there be quiet grace-filled moments that kindle our faith as we trust in mysteries beyond our understanding.
Speaking of mysteries; what is with the Mouse King and how does Clara become the Sugar Plum Fairy?
One beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your,
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
