On Being Late

As I write this article I wonder if it is worth it since it is the fourth of March and already late and I never really like being late. Although a late written piece is not as bad as being late for an appointment. This comes from my mother. She was always on time. Not early. Not late. On time. If we had an appointment at, say, 11:00 am, we arrived at 11:00 am. Not before. Not after. By going with her to so many appointments this became my practice too. Not early. Not late. She, not on purpose I suppose, drilled it into me. When she told me to hurry up and I would call back, “Wait a minute.” Her reply was always, “Wait’s what broke the wagon down.” You would think, I suppose, that at 63 I have gotten over this, but when the time comes to leave for an appointment, there she is, my mom, in my head calling, “Wait’s . . .

Now, I have friends and colleagues who are notoriously late. Other friends make jokes about them. “Just tell him the meeting starts two hours before it is scheduled.” “Don’t put the roast in the oven ‘til he arrives.”  “He’ll be late for his own funeral.” One always-late friend told me, “Be late and schedule another appointment right after. Then you can leave early.” I have had meetings for which I wished that had been my plan. But it wasn’t -- couldn’t have been because of who I am. 

I am not saying that I am always on time. I am not. Sometimes I am early. Sometimes Late. What I am saying is, when I am not on time, I am upset with myself for breaking a rule. One of my ever-present family commandments. You know them. Not mine. Yours. Those unwritten intangible unbreakable never-clear rules of how to be a son, daughter, mother, father . . . Some good. Some bad. Others less so. 

We are a mixture of those who raised us. That mixture colors our lives and relationships. Sometimes we do good. Sometimes bad. We, I hope, strive for the good and apologize for the bad. And we can. For there is a set of rules that sits on top of our family rules. Rules that were given in rough form to Moses and perfected by Jesus. Rules that become one: Love. Love yourself, your family, friends, neighbors, and enemies. Love them as God loves them. Then, being late is not so bad.

Peace,
Pastor John