I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come
and will not delay.”
Habakkuk 2:1-3
As we continue our journey together across the diocese, I have been reflecting on these remarkable words from the prophet Habakkuk. They were spoken in a time of uncertainty and change. Habakkuk looked around and saw a world that seemed troubled and unstable. His response was not complacency, but urgency. He longed to see God's purposes fulfilled and repeatedly cried out, "How long?"
God's answer offers a pattern that feels particularly relevant for us today: listen, run, wait.
First, Habakkuk listens.
Before action comes attention. Before planning comes prayer. Habakkuk takes his place on the watchtower and waits to hear what God will say. As a Diocese, that commitment to listening has been at the heart of our journey through Shaping for Mission and now Seeking the Kingdom. We have sought not simply to make plans, but to discern where God is at work and how we are being called to join in.
But listening is only the beginning.
God tells Habakkuk to write the vision down clearly, "so that a herald may run with it”. The vision is not given to be admired, discussed endlessly or filed away on a shelf. It is given so that people can act. There is movement in this image. There is purpose. There is urgency.
That challenges us today. We know that we are called to make disciples, grow younger, serve our communities and become financially sustainable for the future. These are not aspirations for some distant generation. They require action now. A clear and compelling vision should encourage prayer, shape decisions and inspire momentum. God's mission calls us not simply to think differently, but to live differently, serve differently and invite others into the life of Christ.
Yet Habakkuk's message does not end with running.
God also says, "Though it linger, wait for it”.
At first glance, that seems the opposite of urgency. In reality, it is a reminder that God's timing and God's purposes are not always the same as our own. We are called to act with energy and determination, but we cannot manufacture spiritual growth. We cannot force faith, renewal or transformation. Those gifts ultimately come from God.
The challenge is to hold these truths together. We must resist the temptation either to rush ahead in our own strength or to become passive while waiting for God to act. Habakkuk calls us to a better way: to listen carefully, run courageously and wait trustingly.
As we continue Seeking the Kingdom together, Habakkuk offers a helpful pattern for the road ahead. Let us listen for God's voice, run with the vision he has given us, and trust that he will accomplish his purposes in his time. We need the urgency to act, the courage to change and the patience to persevere. Strategies matter because they help us focus our efforts on God's mission, but it is God who gives the growth. And because he is faithful, we can move forward with both urgency and hope.
The Revd Canon Nick Smeeton
Strategy Programme Director
Read more about the diocesan vision and plans to enable us realise it together at lichfield.anglican.org/our-vision/