fruits-of-the-spirit

Advent: A Season of Longing, Light, and the Kingdom Within

The Curious PilgrimLeave a comment

A Reflection by Roy Pearson

Advent invites us into a sacred pause—an opportunity to step back from the rush of the world and step into the gentle rhythm of God’s kingdom. It is a season rooted in longing, illuminated by hope, and anchored in the promise that Christ not only came once in Bethlehem, and will come again in glory, but also desires to come here and now—into our hearts, our lives, and our daily choices.

The Three Comings of Christ

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” Traditionally, the Church remembers three movements of Christ’s coming during this season:

1. Christ Coming in History

We celebrate the miracle of Bethlehem: God entering our world as a baby, choosing humility, vulnerability, and love. Jesus did not come to impress the powerful; He came to lift up the lowly, heal the broken, and proclaim the kingdom of God in a new way. His birth is the beginning of God’s reign breaking into the world.

2. Christ Coming in Our Hearts (the heart of Advent)

This is the coming that shapes our daily lives. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Advent reminds us that God’s reign is not just a distant hope but a present reality—alive in every heart that welcomes Christ.

This coming challenges us to live as people transformed by grace:

  • To be the salt of the earth—bringing flavor, preservation, and goodness to the world.
  • To be the light of the world—shining with compassion, truth, and justice.
  • To take up our cross daily—choosing the way of love, forgiveness, and humility.
  • To bear the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When Christ rules in our hearts, His kingdom becomes visible through our lives. Advent becomes not only a season of waiting, but a season of becoming—becoming the people God created us to be.

3. Christ Coming in Glory

We also look forward to the promised return of Christ, when all will be made new and God’s kingdom will be fully realized. This hope anchors us when the world feels heavy. But Advent reminds us that the best way to prepare for Christ’s future coming is to let Him rule our hearts today.

Advent and the Kingdom Now

For many, Advent is associated with waiting for what God will do. But you remind us of an essential truth: Advent is also a time to celebrate what God is doing right now.

  • When we forgive someone, the kingdom is here.
  • When we carry someone’s burden, the kingdom is here.
  • When we feed the hungry, encourage the lonely, speak truth in love, or live with quiet courage, the kingdom is here.
  • When the fruits of the Spirit grow within us, the kingdom is alive in us.

Christ came once in the flesh so He could come now in our hearts.

Becoming Light in the Darkness

Each Advent candle we light is not just a symbol of Christ’s light—it is a call to shine that same light in a darkened world. In a season filled with noise, we are invited to listen for Christ’s voice. In a world full of hurry, we are invited to slow down and notice His presence. In a world divided, we are invited to embody His peace.

A Prayer for this Advent

Lord Jesus,
as You once came to us in Bethlehem,
come now and reign in our hearts.
Let Your kingdom take root in our thoughts,
our words, and our daily actions.
Make us salt in a broken world
and light in a darkened one.
As we await Your coming in glory,
may Your Spirit produce in us
the fruits that reflect Your heart.
Come, Lord Jesus—
come and make all things new,
starting with us.
Amen.

Patience: Waiting with Trust

The Curious PilgrimLeave a comment

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” – Psalm 37:7

Patience is one of the hardest fruits of the Spirit to practice. We live in a world that values speed, instant answers, and quick results. Yet God’s Spirit calls us to a different pace—the holy rhythm of waiting, trusting, and resting in Him.

Patience is not passive. It is not simply sitting with folded hands while life passes by. True patience is active trust—it is choosing to believe that God is at work even when we cannot see the outcome. It is enduring with hope when the waiting feels long, when prayers seem unanswered, and when life tests our endurance.

Think of a seed planted in the ground. For weeks, even months, there may be no visible sign of growth. Yet underground, the seed is breaking open, roots are spreading, and life is forming. So it is with God’s work in our lives. What seems like silence or delay is often preparation for a harvest we cannot yet imagine.

Jesus Himself embodied patience. He endured opposition, misunderstanding, betrayal, and even the cross—for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). His patience was rooted in love and in trust of the Father’s perfect plan.

Today, may we welcome the Spirit’s gift of patience. In our families, may we be patient with one another’s weaknesses. In our workplaces, may we show grace when deadlines or frustrations press in. In our personal walk with Christ, may we trust that His timing is always good.

Prayer
Lord, grow in me the fruit of patience. Help me to wait on You without fear, to endure with hope, and to trust that Your timing is perfect. Give me grace to be patient with others, as You are patient with me. Amen.

Temperance as a Fruit of the Spirit: Lessons from F. D. Maurice and John Stuart Mill

The Curious PilgrimLeave a comment

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22–23 that one of the fruits of the Spirit is temperance—or self-control. This fruit reminds us that Christian maturity is not just about passion or conviction, but about living with balance, restraint, and wisdom that serves the good of others.

When I think of temperance, I see how it shone—though in different ways—in two 19th-century voices: F. D. Maurice and John Stuart Mill.

Maurice, the Anglican priest and Christian Socialist, lived in an England torn between unchecked capitalism and harsh reactions to it. Yet instead of rushing to extremes, he held fast to a Spirit-shaped balance. His call for cooperative education, just labor, and fellowship across class lines reflected temperance—convictions expressed with patience, compassion, and faith.

Mill, though not a man of the Church, also practiced a form of temperance. He refused to let his life be ruled by either cold calculation or blind passion. Instead, he sought a balanced liberty, reminding us that freedom without responsibility is no freedom at all. His willingness to listen, revise, and walk the path of moderation shows us that temperance can emerge wherever truth is earnestly sought.

For us as followers of Christ, temperance is more than moderation—it is the Spirit’s gift to help us love with strength and steadiness. In a world that often pulls us toward extremes, we are called to walk the narrow way, where passion is disciplined by love, and freedom is guided by care for our neighbor.

Prayer:
Lord, by Your Spirit, cultivate temperance in us. Teach us to hold fast to truth with gentleness, to act with strength and patience, and to let all our freedom be guided by love. May the example of those who sought balance in their time inspire us to live faithfully in ours. Amen.

Litany on Temperance

Leader: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance.
People: Lord, let Your Spirit grow in us.

Leader: In a world pulled toward extremes, You call us to walk with balance.
People: Teach us temperance, O Lord.

Leader: As F. D. Maurice sought justice with patience and faith,
People: Give us wisdom to hold truth with compassion.

Leader: As John Stuart Mill practiced liberty with responsibility,
People: Teach us freedom guided by love of neighbor.

Leader: Where anger divides and fear controls,
People: Fill us with temperance, steady and strong.

Leader: Spirit of God, shape our hearts in self-control,
People: That our lives may bear fruit for Your kingdom.

All Together: Come, Holy Spirit. Grow in us the fruit of temperance, that we may live in love, walk in freedom, and serve with grace. Amen.