Advent Seven

Of course, waiting does not only take us to the outside edge of ourselves. It also brings us to the outer edge of others, holding us long enough to look again, to look beyond the surface – should we dare so to do. True waiting is not an introspective withdrawal from life; it is the means of a deeper discovery of this life we get to share.

Why does that person hold such very different views from me? (And why do I hold the views that I hold?)

Why are they unreliable? (And how can I bear my own capacity to let others down?)

Why are they so frustrating? (And why do I frustrate myself?)

Such questions cannot be answered well quickly, by second-guessing or labelling others (or myself). They cannot be answered by generalised status (or by social media status-updates); they cannot be answered by reading about the other. They can only be answered – never fully answered; always partially and provisionally answered, and yet meaningfully so – slowly and respectfully.