October 1, 2025

The only thing that isn’t worthless: 
to live this life truthfully, fully, and rightly 
and to be patient with those who don’t.
~Marcus Aurelius

Beloveds,

What has always drawn me to that particular nugget from Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor and wise guy) isn’t so much the encouragement to truthful, full, and right living as it is the invitation to patience. Encouragement to patience with those around me seems like always-good advice, but at this particular moment, with an overabundance of “those who don’t” being reported everywhere I turn my browser, patience seems like a tiny little trickle when I really want to call down the roaring waters of justice. (Note: the waters of justice in the Hebrew Bible are not peaceful, happy waters, but destructive floodwaters in the desert.) It is so tempting to imagine meeting substantial parts of the world around me with righteous anger, or at least self-satisfied dismissal or disdain. Patience is too tall an order when I see policies and decisions that are causing death.

And yet, setting aside whether I’m even in the position of living truthfully, fully, and rightly enough to recognize clearly those who do not, it occurs to me that I might also read in those words a suggestion that I meet my own failings to live my best life with patience. I don’t know about you (perhaps you are living fully, truthfully, and rightly), but I am curious about how meeting myself with patience might differ from my customary culturally-programmed lean into diagnosis, judgment, and correction. It feels softer, for sure, more compassionate, and perhaps more likely to lead to the kind of growth we all long to find in ourselves and each other. 

I’m going to try being more patient with myself. Who knows? While it probably won’t change the world around me much, it might make a difference right here where I can feel it.

Yours in compassion and patience,
Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org