When I read the news and see the sorry state of the world, I sometimes pray that Jesus hasten his arrival: “Lord, you’d better hurry, because at the rate we’re going, there will be nothing left by the time you get here.”
But if I look closely, I see that Jesus is already present: he is present when we comfort one another after the latest terrorist attack; he is present when we listen patiently to people who are angry and disenfranchised; he is present when we reassure people who lament at what our nation has lost and who are afraid at what it might become.
When we can find God in all things, we will see the Son of Man coming into his Kingdom. So pay attention to your day, and look for moments of kindness, gentleness, and joy—these moments offer glimpses of the Kingdom that is already present to us.
—Bob Burnham, OFS, a Secular Franciscan and spiritual director, writes and edits for Loyola Press in Chicago.