Patience and Kindness

I’ve been reflecting on the next two fruit of the Spirit - patience and kindness. Where kindness has popped up in my facebook feed and other places this week, patience not so much. Is it just me, or are we far more focused on being kind (or inclusive or accepting or helpful) while patience is valued far less?

I ask the question because the Christian life involves a lot of patience. God has shown immense patience with the people who have lived on earth since Creation, including us. No one else comes even close. But we need patience to wait for answers from God, as we wander in the wilderness, as we learn to love other people, and as we build the church together with those not like us. Patience is critical to hearing God’s voice and direction and to living as disciples of Jesus. There is so much for us to learn at every stage of our faith journeys. Rarely does any of this happen quickly.

Contrast this with our instant pot and all caps acronym texts because we can’t wait. We want things when we want them. Not even a pandemic could curb our desire to do all sorts of things that are perhaps not in our best interest, at least right now. People are still expecting, and even feeling more deserving of, what they want after the inconvenience of the lockdowns. Some of us are perhaps less demanding and more grateful for all that happens in order to feed and heal and teach us, but for many we’re back to wanting what we want now.

Patience. Without it we lose perspective that we aren’t in charge. It points to God being the one in control and seeing the bigger picture. It reminds us that other people have differing needs and won’t always do what we want or expect. As we become students of God and those around us, we take the focus off ourselves and learn much about how to build community and loving relationships.

I frequently feel the pressure to do things efficiently and to keep up with the pace of the world. As I move through mid life, the generations coming up behind me are often impatient with what they consider obsolete and slow ways of doing things. It’s a fine balance to understand and embrace the new which is actually helpful while holding on to the bedrock and meaning of what came before. Patience is needed among all generations. This tension is nothing new and we need to navigate it successfully to have all of God’s family plugged into the church, embraced in the faith and serving the broader community.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and rise up on wings like eagles. We do need to cultivate the discipline to wait on God’s timing, while seeing the new thing that God is doing among us. Many are tired, but waiting on, depending on and trusting in God to come through for us will be what renews us. It will not be our own strength or cleverness. It will be our willingness to wait on God’s timing.

Perhaps patience is listed before kindness because out of that waiting, intently expecting God to act and lead us, our perspective shifts dramatically and we are able to be more kind. In that discernment and slowing down we see our neighbour more clearly, as well as ourselves.

May you find strength in your waiting and may the patience it develops bless you. May kindness overflow from the love and perspective you receive.