Expect. Prepare. Be Patient.
Reflections on the Feast of the Presentation
2 February 2020
Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral
New Westminster BC
Malachi 3.1-4; Psalm 84; Hebrews 2.14-18; Luke 2.22-40
Most, if not all, British Columbians know that we live on the ‘Ring of Fire’, a region of our planet where earthquakes and volcanos are an ever-present danger. Three hundred years ago a major earthquake wreathed widespread devastation and death throughout what is now the Province of British Columbia. Experts remind and even warn us regularly to expect the next ‘big one’.
Some of us are prepared for this. We’ve stored water, food and other supplies so that we can survive until help arrives. Because we had a pre-school at Saint Faith’s, my previous parish, we built a storage shed in the corner of the parking lot, away from the building itself, and stored our earthquake supplies there. The children had earthquake drills every once and a while.
Others of us are not as prepared. No doubt there are many reasons, but we will find ourselves relying on the kindness of neighbours and strangers long before help from any level of government arrives. I count myself among the ‘unprepared’ even though I have a storage shed that I could easily use.
When the ‘expected but not yet’ seems delayed, even mild tremors and volcanic rumblings won’t stir us to take action. We become complacent. Even those who have supplies stored away may, over time, forget to refresh the water and replace food and other items past their ‘best before’ date. We are no longer expectant and preparedness lapses.
Two thousand years ago the Jewish people had accommodated themselves to expect that God’s promise to send a redeemer was unlikely to be fulfilled in their lifetimes or in the lifetimes of their children and grandchildren. True, in the synagogues the Torah and the Prophets were read and Malachi’s prophecy was heard: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” [1] But how many of those who heard these words believed that the day would come? True, the sacrifices were offered in the Temple and the great festivals were celebrated. But how many of those who witnessed the priests at the altar wondered if God was paying any attention to the plight of the people?
The evangelist Luke tells us that there were at least two people who expected the fulfillment of God’s promise, who prepared themselves through prayer and contemplation, and who were far from complacent. For many years each had waited for the day that finally came when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple to make the required sacrifice. We hear nothing more of Simeon and Anna after this encounter. We do know that they made sure that everyone around them heard the news: The Lord has come to his temple!
These two people lived expectantly, looking daily for the signs that pointed to God’s faithfulness. They prepared themselves through prayer and worship. They had learned to wait patiently for God. Both probably had moments of doubt, but neither abandoned their vigil for God’s promises will be fulfilled, though the wait may be long.
Two thousand years later here we are, members of a world-wide community that proclaims a message of hope and human renewal that is desperately needed by those among whom we live, work and serve. But two thousand years is a long time to wait and it’s easy to become distracted by the cares and challenges of our daily lives. It’s easy to become a bit complacent when what we hope for is so far over the horizon that it’s become more mythical than real.
My friends, Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. We continue to live in the expectation of ‘that great day when all will be one’. [2] In the meantime we live expectant lives where we feel every kick of the future that is growing in us and around us. We look in every nook and cranny of our lives and in the life of the world around us for the green shoots of God’s justice and steadfast love.
We prepare. We read the Scriptures, alone and together, to learn how to recognize the signs of God’s world breaking into our world of time and space. We break the bread of life and drink the wine of blessing to sustain us in our waiting. We bring others into this community of faith to renew it, to challenge it and to expand its witness.
We wait patiently. Patience is a difficult virtue to cultivate in a society addicted to speed. Our Christian spirituality is at its best when it shapes us for marathons and cross-country steeple-chases than for sprints.
Friends, the Great Day is coming. Exactly when, no one can say. But as surely as day turns to night and the earth revolves around the Sun, the Great Day is coming. The signs are all around us, if we have prepared ourselves to live and to watch expectantly and patiently. You know, there’ll probably be some rocking and shaking when it comes, but we’ll be ready.
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