Hurry Up and Wait

 

LECTIO: 

Jas 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

STUDIUM:

Warnings preceded James 5.  Now we are asked to be patient.  For what?  The Second Coming or our personal judgment?  James isn't definite but what does it matter?  We have to wait regardless.  This passage tells us to have the patience of a farmer who has to work and wait for his crops to grow.  Note the word patience is used twice.

MEDITATIO:

I see the word "patience," used twice. I can take the hint but it is hard for me because I have no patience.  How can I cultivate patience in my old age? If I haven't got patience by now, I never will.  Ugh.  I've got to change my attitude.  What's the use of being anxious and upset?  It doesn't bring to fruition whatever I'm waiting for. 

ORATIO:

Lord, help me to wait.  Help me to take a deep breath and relax and pray.  

CONTEMPLATIO:

I feel myself relaxing into Jesus arms.  Here, I don't feel anxious, nervous, or upset.  Who cares?  What will be, will be.

RESOLUTIO:

I can't forget my mantra: All is passing; only God abiding.

Brothers and Sisters

In reading over James 5:7-10, I was struck by the number of times the word "patience" was used.  Of course, it would be mentioned since it's the theme of this reading.  However, what truly did stick, even more so, was the number of times, "Brothers and Sisters" was used.  The way James used it, I think, is as a term of endearment.  It's not a salutation to a letter.  James begins with "Be patient..." In fact, to me it looks like he took particular care not to begin a sentence with the two words.

It's probably just me.  But I can't help feeling that he uses it to draw the reader in.  Is it an unconscious, technique?  Is it a deliberate tool of manipulation?

I think it's a very natural expression of intimacy.  In fact, the admonishment "Be patient," juxtaposed with "Brothers and Sisters," makes being patient, a loving thing, which I don't think it necessarily is.  In fact, it may just be the opposite.  I have all the patience in the world about things I don't care about.  It's things that I love that I want yesterday, that I need NOW.

Can I make myself have patience?  I won't if I have a choice.

So I wait for the Lord, Brothers and Sisters.