Patience - Periclean Scholars & Fruits of the Spirit Series

Today I am starting a new post series on the fruits of the spirit. For those who may not be familiar with the concept, the fruits of the spirit are a list of characteristics that are attributed to a Christ-like life. They arise from changes in character toward a positive, loving, benevolent nature. Like plants that have been given fertile, nutritious soil and produce wholesome, delicious fruit, the nutrients of an enriched character and purpose (and for Christians, faith in Christ) create fruits of the spirit. Those who produce bountiful fruit provide much benefit to the community.

The fruits of the spirit come from Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Please note that this series is not to be considered a sermon; I am not a preacher. I am also not saying that the Periclean program supplants religious and spiritual devotion - far from it. Rather, I believe that Periclean Scholars helps students to live out their commitments to their faith and to grow as people. I will illustrate the growth of each fruit through the Periclean program with a narrative or two.

I will address each fruit in popcorn format - i.e., as I wish and not in any sort of predetermined order.

Today's fruit is patience. It is mentioned in the Bible as being calm and reducing the temper. Because of Murphy's Law, patience is a virtue that we often have the time and ability to practice, yet do not always do so willingly.

On much of the African continent, the acronym "T.I.A." is used liberally. It stands for "This is Africa", and it is a phrase that helps Westerners to adjust to the fact that many practices will require patience. One should go into any situation with an open mind, a sense of calmness, and a small temper to achieve maximum success and minimal blood pressure. By making the journey to many parts of Africa, we allow ourselves the opportunity for either our patience or our blood pressure to grow. I chose patience.

Today's anecdote comes from our very first day in Kawama village. We had made the seven hour trek from Lusaka to Kawama, right outside of Ndola. When we arrived, it was dark and pouring rain. When we woke up the next morning, we found that the bus that had brought us to Kawama was stuck in the mud.

This was a T.I.A. moment and a decision point. Would we begin work on the new houses, or would we wait for the bus to move before commencing work? The answer: neither. We didn't start work, but we didn't wait around.

Neither did the entire village

The Periclean Scholars and the Kawama residents - including children - helped to create dry patches for the bus' wheels to rise up and drive from out of the mud. We carried bricks from the construction brick pile and threw them under the bus to the wettest spots underneath the tires. This required precious time and resources. First, we were only in Kawama for a fixed period of time, and we had to use as many dry, daylight hours as possible to maximize construction on the two new homes for Lontia and Rosemary. Second, the resource of sun-dried brick is incredibly valuable to the community, so to use them for a purpose other than to build homes is a true sacrifice.

Patience is most needed in a crisis, such as the one suffered by the bus driver. By delaying construction of the homes and choosing instead to use valuable time and resources, we made the decision to show mercy toward the hardship of another, one of our fellow global citizens.

Some would say that this would be an opportunity to show others the fruit of patience, that we should have just let the bus driver create his own dry patches and started on building the homes. However, through this experience I would have to strongly disagree. Patience is not a fruit that we are meant to require of one another, unlike other fruits like love. Patience is a fruit that comes from circumstance or God's will; like death, it is a bitter fruit to swallow that is not ours to determine. By enduring it and minimizing its burden in others, we grow spiritually and as a community.

Because of the spirit of patience evident in all who chose to help, it took a lot less time to get the bus moving than it would have had we looked the other way. Because of the bus that was stuck, we had our first opportunity to bond and work together with all of the Kawama community.

I am thankful to the Periclean program for giving me many opportunities to grow the fruit of patience, including the one listed in this narrative.