A Moment Aside for 11 June 2021

 A Moment Aside --- 11 June 2021

 

    This Sunday, we hear of the parable of the mustard seed, how small it is, and how large it becomes when it grows. What we do not hear of is how long this takes. Some plants seem to take a long time to grow and become fruitful. I’ve been told that there are berry plants that won’t bear fruit for two or three years after planting. On the other hand, we have plants like the dandelion that appear almost overnight, time and time again.

God is patient. Despite the best efforts of some, we don’t really know how long creation took. (Is a “day” twenty-four hours… or is a “day” in Genesis an epoch?) Still, God appears to be quite patient with all of us, something I think is probably more important to our daily lives.

God take the “long view” of things --- preparing carefully in ways that can only be seen in retrospect, building, pruning, directing, watching, and encouraging. Very little is done instantly and lots more is done quietly, patiently, and often hidden from sight. Hidden in any event until it needs to be seen.

God is a god of “second chances.” We all know this quote: Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…  (Jonah 3:1) We know that Peter was patiently forgiven and then given a special ministry in the Church. (John 21:15-19) We all have stories of how God has been patient with us all.

Such patience does not negate the desire God has to have us alongside. God loves us and “burns” to have us as God’s children in the best sense of the word. This gives us hope.

“Patience is God’s nature.” And we should be glad of it.