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Waiting as Great Venture, a Wager on Transcendence

A Christmas Reflection

As we wait for his coming during Advent, it is not empty waiting (no empty null set and endless futile Waiting for Godot). Simone Weil writes, “Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.”  The wait is full of expectation of his coming, in line with historic promise to renew all things, Shalom, the Year of Jubilee, the inbreaking of the kingdom. The metaphors rattle our world and cause our imagination to sparkle. We are encouraged to expect nothing less, anticipate nothing less than a new heaven and a new earth, the eternal to light the sky of the temporal, heavenly virtue in our hearts, divine healing of our brokenness.

Come Lord Jesus! The incarnation speaks of holy presence: the divine with us, in spirit, in a child’s flesh, in truth, in the church, in society, in academia. It heals the broken trust between word and world, silences the cynical voice. God’s word of love becomes flesh in us, is embodied in us, is enacted through us and in doing so, trust is forged between word spoken and the reality of which it speaks, between the words we speak and transcendent realities to which we point. The Word became flesh … a human life … a work of art … a new humanism … a new community … a new social imaginary.  Integrity is its name.

The Divine Fox has pursued us, identified with our struggle, offered life, and by his sacrificial love agape, he showed a whole new way to be with each other, a new ethics, a new politics, a new social liturgy, a new vision of how to be human.  Infinite Love has arrived, followed us home with the intent to stay for awhile. Power submits to virtue, truth and goodness. The voiceless find their voice once again. The venture takes us on a journey higher, deeper, meaningful beyond our imagination, full of surprises and new horizons. Incarnation is intentional, covenantal, purposeful, effective in promoting human flourishing, in showing us the way. Dialectical hope: the teenage Mary breaks into prophetic song… Could this be happening to me, through me?

We are called and commissioned like her to be his humble vessel, his faithful presence to our sphere of influence, to carry on the story of incarnation, to practice presence, knowing full well his intention to back the currency of sacrificial love, to secure the investment in the Other, to speak the truth in love. There seems to be no end to this dynamic waiting, this wager on transcendence…

~Gord Carkner

English: Snow, Belfast (15) See 648506. At 11.30 the Cairnburn Road remained covered by snow – both on the road and footpath. The blue bins were waiting for Godot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)