Why We Can't Wait!

“For everything its season, and for every activity under heaven its time:  a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot…a time for mourning and a time for dancing…a time to tear and a time to mend; a time for silence and a time for speech…” says the writer of Ecclesiastes (3:1-8, NEB).  The writer prefaces all this with “What has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccles. 1:9).  What a dismal perspective!  I much prefer Isaiah’s perspective:  “Cease to dwell on days gone by and to brood over past history.  Here and now, I will do a new thing; this moment it will break from the bud.  Can you not perceive it” (Isa. 43:19, NEB)? 

Is there nothing new under the sun?  Will World War II have to be fought again in some future day?  Will the evils of yesterday, segregation,  bigotry, the denigration of women, the KKK and Jim Crow, be repeated in our time or in our children’s tomorrow?  Is that all we can anticipate—“what has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again?”  This “whatever will be will be” mentality puts us in what Dr. Seuss called “The Waiting Place—for people just waiting.”  He called this Waiting Place, “a most useless place.”

“Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.  Everyone is just waiting.”

History does repeat itself if we are ignorant of it and simply wait around to see it and let it happen again. How can we dwell in Dr. Seuss’ “Waiting Place” and let 35% of the people (unless the polls are fake news) determine the future of this nation?  There is a time for silence and there is a time for speaking out—and that time is NOW.

“Everyone is just waiting. No! That’s not for you!  Somehow you’ll escape all the waiting and staying (and letting things just happen).  You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.  With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high!  Ready for anything under the sky.  Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!”  I believe we, as Americans,  are that kind of a people!  

"Can you not perceive it?