ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 19, 2026
From Yesterday’s Handout
There is an old idiom of leading a horse to water, but there is nothing you can do to make it drink. For those unfamiliar with horses, it is accurate. In fact, it can be frustrating for someone in the equestrian world, for when a rider most wants the animal to drink—on a hot, long ride, or when one is in a hurry—there is very little that can be done. The advice most often given is to be patient and show a willingness to just be with the horse while it drinks or chooses not to drink.
The choice of patience is rarely easy, yet it is true of more than just horses. Sometimes, we believe we know what is best for others, and we have done everything we can to bring them to drink from what we assume to be life-giving. It seems obvious to us, yet could the life-giving gift be our patience and presence?
How are we going to be what is life-giving for someone else? Maybe going beyond just leading, we should sit and listen. Remember, the gift of life might just be our patience and our presence.
Teach us, Holy God, how to be what others need. When we have convinced ourselves what is best for others, provide us wisdom to recognize how we could be projecting our own insecurities. Give us peace for the purpose of listening to you and to the needs of those around us. Amen.
