“Have patience, have patience, Don’t be in such a hurry, When you get impatient, you only start to worry, Remember, remember that God is patient, too, And think of all the times when others have to wait for you.” – Chorus from “Patience” featuring Herbert the Snail, written by Frank Hernandez and Sherry Sanders Powell.
“Patience” is a delightful Sunday School song encouraging children to be patient. I sing it to my kids, and grandkids, whenever they become impatient. They do not always appreciate it. I love this song, which has been so deeply lodged in my mind since 1980, that every time I encounter impatience from anyone, including myself, the song automatically activates.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.” St. Paul tells us, “Love is patient; love is kind.”
As adults in today’s world, it seems we are in a constant hurry, often without really knowing why. We don’t like waiting and have become accustomed to instant gratification and swift service. Yet reality challenges us with daily hassles; being patient with others; and life hardships.
My husband and I have spent over five challenging decades fighting for appropriate services for our own kids and all who struggle with FASD, as well as justice for all who are vulnerable, powerless and spend their lives waiting for compassionate help, work, and answers. Progress is painfully slow, requiring a truthful look at the way things really are, and true patience, which is necessary in order to wait for things to improve or resolve, even though I have no idea as to what the final outcome will be. It takes perseverance, self-restraint, and endurance. I have found that true patience is trusting God is at work while I wait in the not knowing.
Henri Nouwen explains it well: “True patience is the opposite of a passive waiting in which we let things happen and allow others to make the decisions. Patience means to actively enter into the thick of life and to fully bear the suffering within and around us. Patience is the ability to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell as fully as possible the inner and outer events of our lives…Patience is an extremely difficult discipline precisely because it counteracts our unreflective impulse to flee or to fight.”
As a nation, we have found ourselves plunged into a state of high political turmoil and fear. We are experiencing high risk moments, not only nationally, but worldwide, as we watch in horror people’s rights, freedoms, jobs, benefits, etc. being suddenly stripped away. The possibility of political violence is very real. Our country and world are fraught with uncertainty and challenges, requiring “hardship patience.”
Do we passively wait and let things happen, allowing others to make the decisions? No! God is calling us to be truly patient and actively enter into the “thick of life and to fully bear the suffering within and around us.” It is up to God’s people to refuse to be silent, speak truth to power, hold power accountable, counter movements that preach hate, violence, and misinformation, advocate for justice, and so on. We can do this by nurturing a culture of peace, love and unity in diversity through action; promote respect for each individual’s human rights, dignity, and equality; and “be a presence for peace that disturbs, reconciles, serves and deliberates” (taken from the ELCA Social Statement on “Peace”).
We have no idea what the final outcome will be. Impatience only breeds fear, anger, and chaos. Let us practice true patient and love, trusting God is at work while we wait in the not knowing and become “instruments of Gods peace.” Let us, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
• Laura Rorem is a member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She writes to honor Pastor Larry Rorem’s legacy of love, compassion and understanding for all humankind, especially the most vulnerable. Larry wrote for “Living and Growing for almost three decades. “Living and Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Saturday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
