Advent Zone: Proceed with Caution
December Epistle article by the Rev. Kate Jenkins, Associate Rector
Almost ten years into the twenty-first century, and our lives have never been faster. The rise of information technology, initially created to make our lives easier, has increased both the speed of communication and the expectation of productivity. Never before have human beings been able to hurtle themselves though space at such speed. Never before have we been able to send the written word thousands of miles in a matter of seconds. Never have we accomplished more, and yet never has peace of mind been further from the human experience. We are becoming so accustomed to the increased pace of our lives that our minds race even when we find a quiet moment.
We brag about how busy our lives are; "2 bizee," "busy mom" our license plates proclaim. We equate busyness with productivity, with liveliness, even with success. Few people would identify busyness as a "sin" but I think a good case could be made to do just that; for busyness allows us to run from ourselves, and from God.
In a nation where speed is a valued commodity, Advent comes like an unwanted stepchild. The word advent means "coming." The four Sundays of Advent are always the four Sundays before Christmas Day. Advent ushers in the beginning of the Christian year. Advent is all about waiting for Christ to come. Advent is a season of waiting.
But who wants to wait today? Whenever we are forced to wait, it means the service must be poor, that there must be some sort of problem. Waiting is a sign of failure. The faster something is produced, the better for our convenience. No one wants to wait in a traffic jam. No one wants to wait when someone is late. No one wants to wait.
The Best Things in Life...
Yet even today, we cannot deny that most things of true value take time to come. I waited nine months for my children to be born. One doesn't expect to walk into a fine restaurant and find dinner on the table. Waiting, perhaps over some good wine, is part of the older, wiser expectation of quality. Somewhere in the recesses of our memory, we remember that the best food takes time to prepare.
Everything of value in our human existence takes time. From the birth of a child to the fostering of relationships, from the acquisition of knowledge to the development of skills, most truly valued things take time to develop. That is why the highest educational degrees take the most time to earn. It is the investment of time itself, just as much as the accumulated knowledge, that makes the degree valued and respected.
... Are Worth Waiting For
And why should we not expect to wait for the coming of Christ? Is not the Incarnation the most cherished, most anticipated of events for all Christians? Of course we are asked to wait. Our waiting is a sign of our love for Christ, our value of his presence. God asks us to wait because we need to learn the importance of not being instantly gratified. God asks us to wait because we must realize that God exists in a time far beyond the scope of our understanding. In our waiting, God molds us in the Divine image. In our waiting, God is asking us to deepen our love for Christ. In our waiting, God is asking us to enter into one of the most profound stages of love. God asks us to wait because the Beloved is worth it.
