Waiting for Messiah

As many of you have heard, Kate and I are headed to Mexico in the coming days for some much needed rest and relaxation. I do not think I have ever so greatly anticipated a vacation. We have been married for almost three years now. And in one sense it feels like we have been on the move since we said our vows. Three moves, several different jobs, three different schools for me, and many miles traveled in between. And as my second trimester at MHGS has come to an end, I find myself weary. Thus I am looking forward to long days spent basking under the Mexican sun with nothing to do.

We all have things that we look forward to: Reunions, homecomings, trips, quiet walks in the woods, a home cooked meal, a good cup of coffee in the morning, a lovers embrace before falling asleep. These longings, desires, anticipations, sometimes even groanings, have caused me to think on a greater scale of late.

Our lives, our homes, our communities, our churches, our jobs, our countries, our economies, our world, are continually touched with disappointments, mistakes, abuse, violence, anguish, and futility. Nothing is ever stable, nothing is immutable. Our laughter can turn to anguish in the time it takes to read an email, or chat on the phone, or read the news.

In response to this, we strive incessantly for security and stability. We fill our minds with ideologies and structure our lives into foolproof patterns, so that we might escape unharmed by the tragedy that lurks around every corner. Our beliefs and our social structures so often turn into illusions in the end. They fail us.

So we find ourselves waiting, groaning, longing. When will justice come? When will the wars stop? When will everyone have food? When will our brokenness be restored? When will Messiah come?

So the next time we find ourselves longing for a friend, a meal, a lover, a day of rest, let us stop, and let us dig deep into that desire; let it churn inside of us. Let us not cover it up with false security, ideological illusions, self-contempt, or shame; but rather let it help us imagine the raging desires of our God; our God the redeemer of all things. Our God who gives rest to the weary.