Station of the Cross (5)
How long must I wait, O Lord?
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
We may think that the problems we’re dealing with are unique to us, that nobody understands what we’re going through. But we can be sure that somewhere along the long line of history, others have dealt with similar problems and left us clues as to how they can be resolved.
The prophet Habakkuk is a case in point.
He lived at a time when the Israelites were being overrun by their enemies and undermined by the idolatry and political intrigue of their own people. And so, he was angry. He felt God was turning a blind eye to the plight of His people… that He was unwilling to help them get through that difficult time:
How long must I wait, O Lord?
I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry to you, “Violence!”
but you do not intervene. (Habakkuk 1:2)
This verse was written some 2,600 years ago, but could have just as easily been written yesterday, because we still have war, oppression, idolatry, political intrigue, and all the other things Habakkuk complained about, not to mention scandals and confusion within the Church herself.
And so it’s not surprising that many people today share Habakkuk’s frustration and sense of helplessness:
Why doesn’t God do something?
Doesn’t He care about what’s happening to us?
Why doesn’t He listen to our prayers?
These laments are understandable, but perilous. We can never allow our frustrations to shake our faith in God because, if we do, we end up with a double problem — not only do our original problems remain, we also push away the only One who can help us overcome them.
The fact is that God does indeed listen to our prayers and is actively involved in our lives… more than we will ever know! But the only way we can experience His presence during trying times is by remembering that everything happens in God’s ways and God’s time, and trying to anticipate His will only increase our anxiety and frustration.
The next time we are tempted to cry out as Habakkuk did, let pray for the grace to remain steadfast in Faith, joyful in Hope, and untiring in Love.
“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient
with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7) 1
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