Another humdinger of a seasonal quotation, this time courtesy of Tomas Halick’s Patience With God, parts of which have appeared on The Mockingcast and Same Old Song:
Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith. —Adel Bestavros
“Hardly anything points toward God and calls as urgently for God as the experience of his absence…
Yes, patience is what I consider to be the main difference between faith and atheism… What atheism, religious fundamentalism, and the enthusiasm of a too-facile faith have in common is how quickly they can ride roughshod over the mystery we call God – and that is why I find all three approaches equally unacceptable…
One must never consider mystery “over and done with.” Mystery, unlike a mere dilemma, cannot be overcome; one must wait patiently at its threshold and persevere in it – must carry it in one’s heart … and allow it to mature there and lead one in turn to maturity…
If the signs of God’s presence lay within easy reach on the surface of the world as some religious zealots like to think, there would be no need for real faith.
But I’m convinced that maturing in one’s faith also entails accepting enduring moments – and sometimes even lengthy periods – when God seems remote or remains concealed. What is obvious and demonstrable doesn’t require faith. We don’t need faith when confronted with unshakable certainties accessible to our powers of reason, imagination, or sensory experience. We need faith precisely at those twilight moments when our lives and the world are full of uncertainty, during the cold night of God’s silence. And its function is not to allay our thirst for certainty and safety, but to teach us to live with mystery. Faith and hope are expressions of our patience at just such moments – and so is love.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cbNuJ3dFtY
P.S. Bonus points to the first person who can name the drummer in the video above.
COMMENTS
9 responses to “The Virtue of (Just a Little) Patience”
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Maybe patience with Axle Rose only takes place in the Garden of Allah. If I was going to name a drummer for GNR, I would name him Arnie Rabinovch.
Ha! I listened to that song again this morning and it’s even more ridiculous than I remembered.
Loved the article and so timely in my life. This short article will be printed and put on my bulletin board. Thanks for the reminder.
Wow this will definitely stick with me. Thanks skj
Perfect timing for me, as well. Thank you!
That is Don Henley on the tubs.
This article is beautiful.
Thank you.
I forget which came first. This, or Axl singing background on “I Will Not Go Quietly”. Funny pairing. Kind of like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtzkBewRsiE
I second the mailman. I have never thought of patience as faith. Thanks, Jonesy.
Why, that is indeed Don Henley! But, oh my. All. That. Hair.