If you’re familiar with the Christian liturgical calendar, you know that we are currently in Advent season. Advent traditionally has been thought of as a time of preparation for the birth of the Christ child, and as any parent knows, preparing for a child’s birth means plenty of waiting. There’s a lot that has to happen between conception and birth, but none of it requires our direct control. One could argue about the importance of the mother’s diet or prenatal care, but as far as directly controlling the development of a fetus, it’s out of our hands.

Similar to a pregnancy, the resolution of many of the challenges presented by 2020 has been out of our direct control. And so we wait: for a vaccine, for justice on behalf of those marginalized by current systems and mindsets, for economic recovery, for a sense of normalcy. Most of us can’t influence or make these outcomes happen any faster, so we do what we can. We take care of ourselves and our neighbors and try to offer support to others in appropriately-distanced ways. We know our waiting will eventually come to an end, like Advent, and we hold on to hope, peace, love, and joy to give us the courage to keep waiting.