The following is based on a seminar developed for The Gathering, a progressive non-traditional community of faith in San Angelo, Texas.
Waiting. It’s an experience we all share. Before reading further, take a moment to recall a time when you waited. Maybe it was at a coffee shop or restaurant, waiting for someone to arrive. Perhaps you were at a doctor’s office or waiting for an Uber. Regardless of the situation, recall what it was like to wait. How did you experience the waiting? What was your sense of time during that period? Were you agitated or peaceful? How did the experience of waiting shift when what you were waiting for finally came to fruition?
With your experience of waiting in mind, consider that there are probably common elements to the experience for most people. Often, when we wait, time seems to stretch out slowly. It feels like we are in limbo or suspended in time. We might occupy the time by reading a magazine or scrolling through our phones, but the time spent waiting can feel empty, hollow, or even wasted.
While waiting, we anticipate what’s coming next. We often wait impatiently: “Can’t the Uber just get here already?” or “What’s taking the doctor so long?” It’s as if time doesn’t feel real until what we’re waiting for happens. When we’re waiting for a friend or loved one, though, there’s a shift. When they arrive, a new energy fills the air, and the occasion we’ve been waiting for begins.
In our culture, we don’t value waiting. Waiting is often seen as a waste of time. We become irritable: “Why should I pay the doctor when he’s wasted an hour of my time?” We don’t want to wait—we want to get straight to the point, jump into the main event. We want the party to start, the celebration to begin. This attitude is especially true when it comes to Christmas. We don’t want to experience Advent, with its preparation and waiting. We want to trim the tree, sing the carols, and dive into the festivities. We want the celebration to begin in October and stretch all the way through the season.
Waiting can be uncomfortable. When we wait, we experience an open space in our lives that we feel the need to fill. That empty space can be uncomfortable. We want to fill the void, whether with distractions or with things that temporarily ease the discomfort of life’s meaninglessness. Skipping over Advent and diving straight into Christmas is an attempt to mask that ache we all feel in life.
But the weeks of Advent offer us an opportunity to create space in our lives, our hearts, and our spirits. By making room for stillness and anticipation, we open ourselves to the possibility of something more. When we allow ourselves to wait—when we lean into the longing of Advent—we recognize that something is missing and needs to be fulfilled. Advent invites us to wait with the belief that something new is possible in our lives.
Waiting is a deeply spiritual practice. It’s at the heart of meditation and contemplative practices, which encourage us to sit in silence, waiting with open hearts for something more to emerge. Waiting is also a natural part of awe-inspiring moments. Think of watching the sunrise or sunset. For centuries, people have kept vigil, watching for the movement of the sun. During those moments, we experience stillness and peace, nurturing our souls.
To stop and wait is counter-cultural. In a world that demands constant action, taking a deliberate pause to wait is an act of resistance. By choosing to wait, we refuse to participate in the frantic pace of modern life. We ground ourselves in what we know to be true and good. When we wait, we disconnect from the need to belong or be affirmed by the cultural trends around us. We resist the impulse to rush, standing firm in who we are and bearing witness to the fact that all things are temporary and fleeting.
This Advent season, we pause and wait. Through this quiet waiting, we prepare for Christmas. In this sacred vigil, what does it mean for you to wait for something new to be born in your life? How can you embrace the light shining in the dark corners of your world? How can you open your heart to receive good news that has the power to transform your life, your thinking, or the way you live?
At a time when many nations are divided politically and socially, what does it mean for you to stop and wait? By refusing to engage in the divisiveness and vitriol, by pausing to keep vigil, you are resisting the destructive forces that divide us. In the midst of political and social turmoil, it may not be clear what action can be taken. But by stopping, waiting, and allowing our hearts to rest in peace, we resist the forces of division and create space for peace to grow, even if just in small ways.
As we wait and keep vigil this Advent, let us remember the message of the angels to the shepherds. We wait for peace on Earth and goodwill among all people.
