“Frankly, any idea of planning our own lives is out. God can come suddenly, while we are planning, and speak his true word about our life. We can be fairly certain when we are dealing with other people, but no one can be sure when dealing with the living God. Then human glory is silenced. Then palaces and thrones fall. Then one stands face to face with his creator and judge, who has come to him by night. Did he find him sleeping or watching? Now, that is the question. Neither status of office or rank, nor wisdom or prudence, count for anything now. The only hope lies there, when the judgment finally comes and all eyes are upon him, waiting. All hope lies in his hands. Far above all our attempts to protect our future, over all that we have done to secure our own life with our anxious busy-ness and self-torture, over all our cleverness, lies the beatitude of the waiting, watching servant and the sentence of death on the sleeping servant. The waiting servant expects everything, everything from God. Yes, he expects God himself and gives glory to him. He wants nothing for himself, all for God. Only the waiting servant is open, ready for anything. Only such can go from Advent to Christmas. Blessed are those who wait.”

– Dietrich Bonehoeffer, Dietrich Bonehoeffer’s Christmas Sermons. ed. Edwin Robertson. Pg. 54

Question:

How does one work to foster a posture of faithful waiting in a world that demands immediate action and reaction?

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