Waiting is a pain in the neck. Throughout history, humanity has steadily progressed toward ways to make our lives faster and easier. We now can access information instantaneously in virtual worlds of this and that and have virtually forgotten that patience is still a virtue. Also falling by the wayside are the key concepts of stillness and reflection. In short, everything that the Season of Advent invites us to explore goes against the very grain of today’s fast-paced society.

In fact, Advent epitomizes another unpleasant quality — uncertainty. The early days of Advent reflect first on the triumphant return of Jesus at some unknown point in the future. Over and over, we hear that we do not know the day or the hour. And I am sure that I am not the only one who squirms in church, wondering if I am living well enough to escape the “winnowing fans” and “unquenchable fires.”

So, let’s put this all together. Advent asks us to wait in uncertainty while sitting still so that we can reflect on the experience. It is no wonder that our culture has chosen to skip Advent altogether. Christmas sounds more certain, more immediate, and more fun. But Advent is a microcosm of our human condition.

There have been plenty of seasons in my life when I have waited in uncertainty for affirmation or resolution to a problem. All too often, I have prayed the “billboard prayer.” You know it. What you really want is a billboard on the interstate that says in huge letters: “Hey, you! Yes, you! You have made the right decision! Quit second-guessing yourself!” I know that it sounds ridiculous, but didn’t God speak from a burning bush? He parted the Red Sea, right? He threw manna down into the desert, right? When you think about it, a billboard does not seem like too much to ask for!

The reality, however, is that despite all of those larger-than-life signposts, even the Israelites did not get to leave Egypt and waltz straight into the Holy Land with the Messiah at the head of their nation. They had to wander around the desert for a generation, encountering God, rejecting him and accepting him time and again. Even after they got their Promised Land, they had to wait another few thousand years for their Messiah. And when he finally came, he looked so different from what they expected, it was impossible for many to claim him.

Then as now, God’s plan is revealed through processes. Those processes usually take a lot more time than we expect. Yet we cannot skip over them because it is in the uncertainty of the process that we encounter God. If we skip the waiting [during the Avent Season], we risking missing the whole point.

About the Author: Kathleen M. Basi is a composer, musician, essayist, and disability rights activist. She is also a wife and mother of four children, one of whom lives with Down Syndrome. Kathleen is a regular contributor to Bringing Home the Word, an e-newsletter that features suggestions for prayer and reflection at home. A new edition is posted every weekend the link below.

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (11-27-22)
Bringing Home the Word (11-27-22)
The Kids Bulletin (11-27-22)

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Call to Prayer
Prayers for Lighting the Advent Wreath

First Week of Advent