Anticipation

During the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, a popular television commercial jingle for Heinz remained highly ranked among all the “ear worms” of the world. The ad showed a bottle of Heinz being poured, and all so slowly, a closeup showed the red, luscious ketchup mouthwateringly meandering out of the bottle. All the while, you heard Carly Simon sing her hit, Anticipation: “Anticipation; Anticipation; Is making me late; Is keeping me waiting.”

Anticipation is part of life. As children, we could likely not wait for summer. Then, in a short time, we began to start to miss our friends and want to return to school. The world is never perfect. Our hungers (literal or figurative) are never fully satisfied. We watch and wait for the next best thing. Paul plays off this experience as he writes about waiting for Christ’s return, “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12). As Christians waited expectantly, he asks that they do so in hope – fully trusting and relying in their loving God’s provision and support. Yes, Christ has been victorious. We are also conquerors through our faith in him. And yet…and yet…we wait.

Anticipation can be either a positive experience, a negative one, or a mix of emotions. Indeed, many of us struggle at times with what psychology calls “anticipatory stress.” We worry about the “what ifs” of life and all that can potentially go wrong. Professionals of that discipline will encourage us to use compassionate and positive self-talk (“I have survived many things. I will get through this too.” “This is going to be hard, but I know how to face a challenge.”) They encourage people to take care of themselves (with sleep, diet, socially, etc.) as people will tend to fair better. Surrounding yourself with positive people is proven to help too. Being a downer is contagious, but so is positivity! Then, we can learn mindfulness exercises, helping us to stay in the present.

Paul’s own advice to his churches echoes many other parts of scripture and predate these helpful, valid tools. In fact, religious disciplines incorporate the above (for example, Christian music or chants, memorizing encouraging scripture verses to recite when anxious, coming to participate in the life of Christ’s body, meditation, fellowship of the Church, etc.). Further, Jesus encourages us to not worry about tomorrow just like the Psalmist’s teachings shared before his earthly ministry – “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

The Christian faith is meant for the real world, not just eternity. It is a true gift in a hard world. With Paul, we know life is hard, but God is always good. We can seek to remind ourselves with Luther (as when he was afraid or doubted), “remember that we are baptized.” We are Christ’s. So, all is well, no matter what our anxieties or doubts might say. Through prayer, community, and trusting in the promises of scripture, we are reminded that we are loved. We need not let our fears rule us anymore. We can anticipate a better tomorrow through our life found in Christ Jesus.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

Adapted from an article originally published in the Aug/Sept/Oct 2024 newsletter of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA.

© 2024 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.