Advent 6 - Waiting Patiently
By Emily Owen
“Aunty Memem, why are you never ready?!”
The children were seemingly able to dash out of the door at a moment’s notice.
I, on the other hand, needed to check I had my crutch, my bag, my keys…
Sometimes, as the children jiggled about, raring to go, I would speak to them in sign language: ‘Wait.’
And they always waited for me.
Because they wanted me with them.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
Luke 2 (NIV)
We could render this he was accepting that the peace which had been promised would come.
At the time, the Jewish people were under Roman rule.
Life was not generally peaceful.
And yet Simeon refused to let go of the promise that peace would come.
He wanted peace with him, and he had been assured that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah.
Jesus.
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9).
What about us this Advent?
We may not find ourselves under Roman rule, but perhaps life is still not peaceful.
We find ourselves with different pressures.
Perhaps we are under ‘work’ rule, or ‘family’ rule, or ‘health’ rule, or ‘expectations’ rule, or ‘church’ rule, or ‘having-to-hold-it-all-together’ rule…
The children weren’t waiting for me pointlessly.
They knew we were going out somewhere.
Simeon wasn’t waiting for the Peace-promise pointlessly.
He knew that it would come.
In sign language, the sign for ‘wait’ is the same as the sign for ‘patient’.
Wait-Patiently.
Are you like Simeon this Advent?
Looking for Peace?
Waiting for Peace?
Believing the promise, that ‘His name shall be called Prince of Peace’, but not seeing it yet?
Wait-Patiently.
Before long, the angels will be singing their Christmas song:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:14
Wait-Patiently.
Jesus is coming.
Peace is coming.
Some time ago, my grandma was near the end of her life on earth.
She was struggling, and in pain.
To mark what we knew would be her final Christmas, I bought her a Christmas tree decoration and hung it at the foot of her bed.
The decoration was shaped in the word ‘peace’.
One night, after visiting with Grandma, my mum said, “I hope you have a peaceful night.”
Grandma’s response, looking towards the plaque?
“I always have peace.”
May you know the possibility of Peace this Advent.
Wait-Patiently.
Peace is possible.
I always have peace.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
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