In the course of our life, many of us will experience periods of hospitalisation, which also carry with them a loss of control. And nearly everyone has to spend some time as an out-patient. The longer we live, the more likely we are to find ourselves in hospital. But whether an in-patient or an out-patient, it inevitably means we are forced to spend a lot of time waiting.
Mgr Peter Rosser, a trustee of Growing Old Grace-fully, was asked to give a talk about “Time from the perspective of a patient” where he reflects on his own experience of spending time waiting at the disposal of medical personnel. Here is an excerpt:
“Recently I came across a CTS pamphlet entitled ‘Five Loaves and Two Fish’ http://www.ctsbooks.org/five-loaves-and-two-fish/ . It contains a series of 7 reflections by Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan written during his imprisonment in Vietnam. At one point he realised that he was enduring the hours of imprisonment as lost time while he awaited release. It led him to see that the hours of waiting could be valuable in themselves.
In his book “Road of Hope” written during his incarceration, he wrote “I will not wait. I will live the present moment, filling it to the brim with love”. He goes on “Only one moment exists for you in all its beauty and that is the present moment. Live it completely in the love of God. If your life is built up like a large crystal from millions of such moments, it will be a wonderfully beautiful life. Can’t you see how easy it could be?”
V H Vanstone in his book ‘The Stature of Waiting’ develops a similar and very pertinent reflection. He develops the point that after three years of active ministry, in a position of control over his life and decisions, Jesus then voluntarily allows himself to be handed into the power of others. At this point he becomes a waiting figure, waiting on others’ decisions and actions. He becomes utterly vulnerable and a true expression of the full cost of unconditional love.
This perception throws an entirely new light on our experiences of waiting and of dependence. The situation of waiting is generally resented: it is regarded as frustrating, and considered a diminution of man’s proper status. But given that we are made in the image of God and called to reveal his nature through faithfully imaging Him in our world, our times of waiting, of being in the control of others and thus utterly vulnerable, take on new significance and importance.
In our activity we reveal God’s loving, creative activity on behalf of this world. But in our passivity (our waiting) we reveal to the world the equally important passivity of God which is the ultimate expression of his unconditional love. Our waiting takes on a whole new stature and meaning.”
Here is the whole transcript of Fr Peter’s talk, Healthcare Talk January 2017 Fr Peter Rosser