May 10, 2026
Patient Expectation
We are living in this “little while.” We can live in it creatively when we live it out of solitude, that is, detached from the results of our work. And when we live it with care, that is, crying with those who weep and wail. But it is the expectation of his return which molds our solitude and care into a preparation for the day of great joy.
This is what we express when we take bread and wine in thanksgiving. We do not eat bread to still our hunger or drink wine to quench our thirst. We just eat a little bit of bread and drink a little bit of wine, in the realization that God’s presence is the presence of the One who came, but is still to come; who touched our hearts, but has not yet taken all our sadness away.
And so when we share some bread and wine together, we do this not as people who have arrived, but as men and women who can support each other in patient expectation until we see him again. And then our hearts will be full of joy, a joy that no one can take away from us.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
- 1 John 4: 4
Reflection Question: How will the reminder of Christ’s return nurture hope in you today?
