Wait for the Lord

Originally published in the South Jetty News  Paper 


One of my favorite songs from the Taizé community is, "Wait for the Lord." It is often sung the pre-Christmas season of Advent, but it has been running through my mind as we try to wait patiently for life to return to normal. The reason we have songs like this, in part, is because we don't want to wait. Perhaps more than ever, we are accustomed to instant gratification; we want things fixed now. In the midst of a global pandemic no one has seen in a century, it may be worthwhile to consider wisdom passed down from tradition. 


Of course, the monks of Taizé drew the words of that song from scripture; the reminder to wait shows up throughout the Bible, and particularly in the Psalms: "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (30:20), "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." (27:13), "Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord." (31:24) 


I know it is a struggle, our whole world has changed; I am aware our economy is taking a hit from this, and households are struggling to pay bills. I'm grateful for those who are able to help one another to make it through. Our courageous and faithful food pantry volunteers are a shining example. As we wait, and help one another through this time, we might also ask God what we might learn during this time of waiting. Are there systems that should be changed from this time of learning? What will help us be prepared for the next time we are in this situation? 


These are questions to hold prayerfully, resisting the cultural tendency for quick answers; resist seeking a scapegoat, someone to blame. The global pandemic emerged from our history, our global connectivity, and the evolution of a virus. It is the reality we find ourselves in, and one that we are learning to respond to as best we can; for now, that response looks like waiting. 


Daily prayer time and daily exercise can bring order to your day and support your mental and physical health; If you don't have those, I highly recommend starting today. Thank you to those who have so graciously shared work-out and yoga sessions as well as daily prayer services on Facebook. Those gifts will help as we, "Wait for the Lord, who's day is near; wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart." (You can find the song Wait for the Lord from Taizé on Youtube. ) 

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