As I drove I-95 to Washington, Baltimore and into Delaware to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends at my sister’s home I, like thousands of travelers throughout the U.S., had multiple opportunities — and plenty of time — to practice what Pope Francis tweeted more than nine years ago: “Charity, patience and tenderness are very beautiful gifts. If you have them, you want to share them with others.”
Experiencing the “stop and go” drive, hearing every traffic report include, “You can expect delays,” and while grinding my teeth with the stress of holiday traffic, I thought about the 1987 movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”
Neal Page (Steve Martin) is a high-strung, self-centered marketing executive trying to get from New York to be with his family in Chicago for Thanksgiving. Del Griffith (John Candy), an outgoing, caring shower curtain ring salesman who is genuinely interested in people, is headed there, too.
The film’s title gives you an idea what it takes for them to get to their destination. Over their two days together, Neal’s animosity toward Del melts as he accepts and then practices the charity exemplified by his accidental travel companion.
While the conclusion is a heart-warming expression of that charity, the story is a reminder that getting to that point can be a painful journey, fraught with multiple occasions for being at wit’s end. It may require us to endure the foibles and weaknesses of those whose words and behaviors frustrate us.
The movie is a good source for Advent reflection. When we travel for the holidays, we know we might encounter challenges and unexpected obstacles — not only with the traffic, but maybe in dealing with family situations which are difficult or painful.
This season is an occasion for us to cultivate the virtues of hope and patience, virtues that are highlighted and reflected during these four weeks.
The concerns and difficulties we encounter this time of year make us aware of the opportunity — the need! — to be fully immersed in Advent. Hope is a starting point as we anticipate Christ’s coming when he will ultimately give us the rest and the hope for which we long.
The spiritual struggles or battles we encounter might make it hard for us to comprehend that, especially when mention of the hope that Jesus provides is nowhere to be found in the secular messages with which we are inundated this time of year. However, as Christians we know that our hope in Christ will sustain us.
The waiting and anticipation that define Advent require us to practice patience — one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. In the passage from the Letter of James that we will hear on the Third Sunday of Advent, he writes, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord” (5:7) and “Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:8).
As we encounter people and situations that test our ability to respond in a Christian manner, pause for a moment and consider who we are awaiting during this season. Act as he would act — with charity, patience and tenderness.
Taking the advice of Pope Francis, share these beautiful gifts with others. Doing that in a good spirit will help us be filled with the Christmas joy we anticipate.
May you patiently experience a blessed, hope-filled Advent.