I recently went on a walk with some friends. She pointed out to me an oak tree in the middle of the field. This had clearly seen a lot of life. Half the tree was dead; white branches sticking up into the sky or on the ground. However, the rest of the tree was in leaf and seemed healthy to my non-expert eye. She explained a few years ago it had been struck by lightening. However, rather than cut it down, the landowner had waited to see what might happen. The tree now seemed to be recovering. We pondered the virtues of patience and waiting. Waiting is not easy and there can be times when it is simply an excuse for avoiding a problem. But rushing in with undue haste can be the greater evil, particularly when it is motivated by a desire to be seen to be acting. Then it is just an exercise in self-justification. Particularly in the church, it is as well to remember that God plays a long game.