Time is of the essence

I was thinking today about the time when the Israelites were caught worshiping the golden calf in the desert.  Moses was extremely angry at their unfaithfulness and at Aaron's succumbing to the pressure of the people to return to their former ways.  The Israelites were tired of waiting for Moses to return from the mountain; they were frustrated and felt abandoned by the man who led them into the desert with promises of a new life.  So they returned to their old ways, putting their trust in other gods, represented by the golden calf.  They wanted clear direction, answers and a fulfillment of the promises - NOW! (Exodus 32:15-34)

We could spend all day thinking about ways we’r impatient, with nearly everything—with toast, with other drivers, with people at work, with family, with ourselves, with God.  It doesn't take much self-awareness and honesty to admit that our desire, our demand, that things work faster, even the very way we want them to work, quickly move to judgments, and eventually to anger and division.  The whole collection of things which upset us too often tend to build up into a pile of frustration, even hostility.  When it gets bad, we stomp around and bark at other people.  At its very worst, God gets very far away.  It's nothing then to throw God's ways to the ground in our frustration with everyone and everything.

Yet, Jesus reminds us that what is of God will take a long time.  The kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed which grows into a great tree.  Or, the fulfillment of God's plan is like a large measure of flour which rises with the presence of a small amount of yeast (Matthew 13:31-35).  In both parables, time is of the essence.  One cannot hurry the growth of the tree or the rising of the dough.  Anyone who tries to force either knows that this is a futile exercise.

Patience, trust, and inviting God into our work, our lives, and our work for justice won’t be easy or necessarily fruitful according to our timelines.  When I get discouraged by the slowness of success of my efforts for what I believe is 'of God,' I’m reminded of a prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero:  " It helps now and then, to step back and take the long view.  The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision....  We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs.  We are prophets of a future not our own."

Perhaps this is the real measure of what is 'of God' - to invite God into what we do, trust that it is truly 'of God,' work as hard as we are able for what is 'of God,' and then 'let go, and let God.'