Patience does not equal inaction - September 4
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43; 1 Kings 12:1-20; James 5:7-12,19-20; Mark 15:33-39
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. (James 5:7-8a)
With the buckets and buckets of rain lately, it is hard to be patient. A couple of weeks ago, the grass needed to be cut. Sam mowed and edged the backyard twice that week, due to the rain and ultra-eager weeds overperforming in our yard this year. I really wanted to mow the front and side yards (as we live on a corner lot), but I would have to squeeze it in before a web meeting and impending storms. The lawn was lush and taller than usual, so the push mower and I worked hard. It took endurance, some restarts, and a few periods of rest. The mower and I wrapped up just as the rain began to fall.
Working around the rain is a challenge when it feels like it rains all the time. I am not certain we have early and late rains, as James’ letter in the Daily Office lectionary alludes. The rains in this later summer period in Alabama have taken a toll on our garden harvests, ” the precious crop from the earth” - in the form of my tomatoes and eggplant - has really struggled. While I tend gardens on a small scale, my uncle was a farmer of hundreds of acres of land for crop and livestock. He taught me that farming requires fervent attentiveness to soil, sun, water, pests, and timing. There is time to act and there is time to wait until the next time to act. Patience in the in-between times is hard.
In the excerpt from the Letter of James today, the writer of this ancient piece to Christians everywhere shares several bits of wisdom. First, patience. “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” The early Christian communities were waiting for Jesus’ return. The writer lets hearers know that the timing must be right. The soil must be balanced, the shade-to-sun ratio must be just so…and our hearts must be prepared for the Messiah’s arrival, too. In waiting, we grow stronger – just as the fruits growing in the field increase in size and richness as they mature.
In addition to patience, he moves on from the gardening metaphor to other guidance: avoid grumbling and groaning among ourselves, lest we be judged. Ooh. While waiting indefinitely, that is a hard one. While in discomfort and peril, that is a hard one. We are encouraged to look to heroes, our forebears and the prophets, who remained faithful. What we learn from them is endurance and perseverance – like Job, who continued to be afflicted with pain and loss. In clinging to patience, positive outlook, and perseverance, we see that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Let me clarify one point: patience is not equivalent to “do nothing”. The prophets did not sit stone-like until God made them move. They kept living and breathing and preaching and praying. And the Lord God spoke. Job kept walking and talking and engaging with God, no matter what. The Letter of James advises patience or forbearance; this does not mean inaction. Just as a farmer stays attentive to a myriad of conditions while the harvest ripens, so we are called to be engaged in Christian life. We are called to listen to how God is connecting us with the earth and one another. We are called to fend off those external and internal forces that would draw us away from God’s love. We are called to pay attention to the next right action in the path of faithfulness.
In the wake of massive amounts of rainfall in the Southeast this season, Saint Stephen’s parishioner and UAB professor of polar and marine biology Dr. Jim McClintock published a commentary in The Anniston Star on August 26, 2021, titled “Climate change hits home as Alabama experiences more rain, more flooding”. McClintock points to areas damaged by the intense rainfall over shorter time period, like the Cahaba River. He offers interventions, what we can do to help protect our lovely state and its rich ecosystems – through modifications that even include the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck!
Jim McClintock and other researchers are patient, studying and recording data points over time, watching the causes and effects of living as we do. The data suggests an acceleration of production of greenhouse gases. Likewise, the Letter of James was written from the perspective of an expert in Holy Scripture and the Hebraic wisdom tradition who was observing the life and movement of the early Christian church. The author gives advice to the whole of the church, emphasizing virtues of self-discipline and faithful living with God, so that the soil of the faithful would be well-prepared to yield much harvest for God’s glory.
Friends, let us be good stewards of our selves and our surroundings – and each day, with God’s help.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
Which of these is hardest for you this week: patience, avoidance of grumbling, or endurance when things get hard? Where do these virtues factor into your prayer life?
What does caring for creation look like in your life today?
Daily Challenge
Set aside a few minutes to read Jim McClintock's piece on flooding in Alabama. Then, sit in prayer for five minutes, thanking God for the beauty of creation. Ask for guidance about how God is calling you to be a better steward of the Earth. Share your insights with a friend!