“The waiting room”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, July 6, 2024
Romans 8: 18-25 (Forward, p. 69) CEV p. 1179
You have probably heard this from me, but I’ll say it again. Waiting just isn’t my ‘cup of tea.’ That is why, if I’m anticipating having to hang out in a waiting room for long, I always bring something to read or do. And, if I find myself in a long line-up, I’ll try to strike up a conversation. And, of course, if I’m in pain or serious discomfort and that waiting room is adjoining the Emergency Department of a hospital, then that waiting is even more difficult. All that really keeps me sane at such times is hope, hope that I’ll see someone soon and get some comfort or release.
It is this kind of situation that the apostle Paul is referring to. He speaks of sufferings, but never stipulates just what they might be. So, in a sense, this can refer to almost anything that we encounter or go through. However,, with his allusion to our bodies being no longer subject to decay and being set free, we can certainly see him referring to flesh and blood, our physical bodies. And, if you are one of us who is increasingly subject to the aches and pains of the passing years, this can be very attractive indeed.
Interestingly, he compares all of this to a woman about to give birth. Yes, it is a time of pain, of discomfort, but more assuredly, it is worth it for the joy of the newborn child. It is a kind of hope, a hope in an unknown but deliciously attractive future.
That’s what Paul is alleging is in store for us, not only a renewed and transformed creation, but also the glory of being with Christ. And here we have the reassurance that comes from God’s Spirit. God had already done all this in the person of His Son Jesus, and so we can be sure, confident, that He’ll do the same in us. And what a glory that will be. So, for now, just have wait in hope, hanging out in the waiting room called life. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (verses 22-23).
“I had complications during my pregnancy and a very difficult delivery. It felt like lifting the heaviest weight I had ever carried, and then being asked to pick up even more. It was odd to come back to the same hospital 10 years later for cancer treatment, and I felt the same way about how hard it was. I found it oddly hopeful to step into a place where I might die while other people were being born.
“I don’t know why there is suffering in this world. It doesn’t seem to make sense, given God’s love. This tension aches like a pregnant person in labour, and I look forward to its end: a new heaven and a new earth, where we will live in love and unity, in the embodied fullness of our being. And I am grateful for the gift of my not-yet-resurrected body right now that allows me to experience God’s love for me in this world.”
Moving Forward: “How can you experience God’s love with your body and senses today?”