In our epistle lesson today the apostle Paul urges Timothy to live a virtuous life as he awaits Christ’s coming in glory, “until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time.” The early church expected Christ to come again soon, in their lifetimes, whenever God deemed it would be the right time. We continue to look forward to that right time.

After two thousand years, our expectations have changed somewhat. While we know the second coming could be at any time, few of us really expect it to occur today. What we have come to realize, however, is that Christ Jesus can and does manifest the Divine Presence in our particular lives when we need that awareness for some reason. It happens unexpectedly, yet at just the right time, perhaps as stunning as St. Paul’s Damascus Road experience (Acts 9:3-9) or as quiet as the “still, small voice” Elijah heard on the mountain (I Kgs.19:11-12 KJV), but more likely for us , it will be something that we can somehow recognize has our name on it.

Our recognition of God’s presence in the here and now is enhanced if we already have an intimate relationship with the Beloved if we spend time with the Holy One day by day. It helps if we are alert and attentive, noticing God’s hand at work in our lives. Being open and available to God’s word, however it may come to us, enables the Beloved to reach us when it is the right time, for us, for our neighbor, for the world. The right time isn’t just once and done; the right time for Christ Jesus to manifest Divine Presence in our lives may be frequent or seldom. It likely will not be when we might judge it to be the right time. In fact, it might not feel like the right time at all, but we can trust that in God’s grace it is. The right time always presents us with the opportunity to enter more deeply into the mystery of God.