On this ‘home stretch’ of sorts before those who celebrate usher in the birth of the Christ Child, we will share some reflections on the season. 

This first one, ‘Promise, Patience, Peace’ is from Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn, pastor of Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

In many ways we think a lot alike; and that was even before she became my pastor almost three years ago!

Here, she uses a somewhat obscure text, out of 2 Peter, which speaks of timing. Pastor Rebecca dares to ask us if we think of God as tarrying, of God as being late, particularly in these times of Covid, but I also invite you to, as always, to also pivot to race and the confronting and dismantling of white supremacy. Even as we labor, however intermittently, however ambivalently,  however sporadically, however ineptly, we still can feel some consternation toward God, yes? God could just wipe out all this racism and supremacy and xenophobic mishegoss in one sweep of Their hand; so why haven’t They seen fit to do so? Why are we, why am I doing all this damn work (again, however fitfully and artlessly) and They seem to be snoring at the wheel? 

There is often no small amount of resentment when we are forced to clean up messes we never made–or that we refuse to admit we had a hand in. We complain about the trash bag on the sidewalk, even as we keep walking as we ourselves miss the trash can with our Starbucks sippy cup. And the next person, who is faced with a sippy cup they didn’t defile, resents and deflects as well. Even the idea of a choice that stops us short (or doesn’t) makes for this resentment: to pick up the bag, the cup? To meet the eyes of our friend on the corner of Broadway? 

We know better than to think that God will intervene in the bag or the cup (although that trash can is not 3 feet away; pretty handy. Thanks, Hashem.) Our friend on Broadway is a different story though. Why doesn’t God give him a house and a full larder? Why can’t God fix his limp?

Why can’t God replace his taste for vodka in favor of a green smoothie? Why does God drop all these balls? And why on earth am I forced to do a job better suited to a deity? This is above my pay grade; this is beyond my care capacity.

In her sermon, Pastor Rebecca dares to ask, ‘What if this whole time we thought we were waiting on God, it turns out God was waiting on us?’ Stunning; breathtaking. 

But I get it. I do get it. 

Two stories. The first has to do with a counselor/supervisor I had almost twenty years ago. We had been going on and on and on, meandering without purpose, or so it felt to me. One day, years in, frustrated with the seeming lack of progress, I asked Art if he had a game plan. So what was my case formulation? Did he even have one? Oh, yes, he said. 

Yes, he said. I’ve had an idea of where I want to go with you since our first week together. We have been getting ready to eventually get there.

 As always, then and now, everything was and is fodder. 

Just like with outside resources, there is a time and a timing and a pacing. 

And a patience. Art had it for me, the shiny A student who could belch out answers but who could not yet meet her clients’ eyes. The trauma survivor who giggled as she told her story of pain. The compassion when I doubted his wisdom, timing, his very competence.

Which is what leads to the second point. There is a movie, ‘A Few Good Men’, I think, where one of the characters yells from the witness stand, ‘You can’t handle the truth!’

So true in most parts of our lives. We are not ready. Our task is to become ready. Our task is not to demand of God, ‘How could you let things get so bad! How could you let it come to this!’, because, just as Pastor Rebecca challenges us, God could make the *exact same query* of us.

We all need to acquire skills on two tracks. We need to become, more and more, ready to become ready. We need to become willing to be willing. We need to be open and soft and porous so when the word, or the Word comes, it will not meet with hard ground and runoff to the sewer main. 

And we need to remember the skills and talents and capacity we have now, even before we see the full picture, can imagine the full tapestry. 

Near the end of Rebecca’s time with us, she charges us well. I won’t tell you what she says; that is for you to discover. 

But yes, we have jobs to do, even as we see through opaque and frosted glass. 

Keep walking. 

Pastor Littlejohn’s sermon can be found here. Please listen.
https://www.vlmcc.org/multimedia-archive/promise-patience-peace/

Lace’s related YouTube post can be found here: