As I get older, I notice that time is passing much more quickly! Dr. Seuss and Benjamin Franklin both give voice to my feelings.
“How did it get so late so soon?” ― Dr. Seuss
“You may delay, but time will not.” ― Benjamin Franklin
I remember learning in Greek class of two words that are used to describe time: Kairos and Chronos.
Chronos time is familiar to us. We understand chronology as the arranging of events in order of their occurrence. We hear time as it passes by with the ticking of the clock. We measure time in a variety of ways, counting seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years.
Kairos time is quite different. Kairos has been described in the areas of rhetoric, science, Christian theology, and digital media. Kairos is a time of opportunity for action. In Christian theology, Kairos time is God’s time.
As we turn the page on the calendar to the second month of a new year, I think about how I might use this precious time that God has given me. Will I fill my days with things that must be done, or will I be open for opportunities to act on behalf of Christ?
Robin Williams had a line that became quite famous in the movie, Dead Poet’s Society. He said to his students, "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."
Mother Theresa’s quote may not be as famous, but from our point of view, as followers of Christ, her words are rich with meaning and possibility:
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
And so my friends, let us remember on each new day as we stumble out of bed and plant our feet on the ground to be open for possibilities to be hands, feet, and heart for Christ. It’s God’s time.
We have only today. Let us begin!
Margaret
