Your waiting “with God”. In “his presence”. How does this effect your presence? Your presence is there. Your waiting with God in his presence.
If you are “waiting on” and “waiting with”, are you standing with your hands folded or is it a special kind of active presence?
Active.
It is a particular kind of engagement. You must respect your not in control.
Except, you’ve got to live your life. You have got eat. You have to sleep. You have to make a cup of coffee.
Knowing when to interfere and when not to. This is a tricky question.
Mary waited on God. Rather than with God. It is much more clear to be waiting on someone or with someone. God is in command. You might have to surrender. If you are waiting with someone, you are my equal. Mary waited on God not with God.
There is a reading from scripture from Matthew’s Gospel “know that I am with you. Always. Until the end of time”. The word that keeps coming out of that quote is “I am with you”. This brings the reality of presence into the now. Jesus and Mary have been a presence in the world. This is very powerful. God is with us and we are with God.
The word “with” is the mystery. You can’t clearly label it. That with-it-ness is in everything. But, in life, we split it up. That is God and that is not God. But really, everything is God. Every single moment is with-it-ness. We have to activate that.
Coming back. Waiting for a loved one in hospital. Say…. getting emergency surgery. If you are waiting with other people to hear about it, there is something there to focus. Kind of worry that comes with that. To focus it and make sure it is not just self-directed. In the same way Mary is waiting with God. Like a companion. This is easier for us to wait. When we are connected with others.
That is interesting. Now. Do a little flip. Do a reflection in yourself….God waiting with us. What might that look like. Mary waiting with God.
In the same way. Aren’t we called to share our lives with God and for God whatever he wants to share with us? Through us. And to be open to the thoughts and ideas that he gives.
If we keep to the notion of powerlessness involve in waiting.
What is vulnerable? God is human. In Jesus. God is on the cross. What is that power-less-ness. We can see God as all powerful. But at the same time God is power-less.
Day 5 - Activity
Listen to the audio by clicking the play button above.
Discuss the following:
When have you waited "on" someone? When have you waited "with" someone? What is the difference?
