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By Nicholas Damascus | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
What is the theology of time? Is it true that it can change the way I’m experiencing life?
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Before creation, there was no time as we understand it — only the existence of God. In Exodus 3:14, God reveals who he is to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.”
God does not come into being or will ever cease being. He simply is. There is no time, at this point, just existence.
As a result of creation, time came into existence, and God provided mankind with the opportunity not only to organize, regulate or guide his life experience, but also to freely determine and choose by his free will where he will spend eternity.
In the New Testament, there are three Greek words that describe time:
- “Chronos” or “chronological time,”
- “Kairos” or “season of the time” and
- “Aion” or “an age, an era, an eternity of time.”
Chronological time is measured
Chronological time is a continuous sequence of recordings of events, past, present and future, in clock or calendar measurement. It’s quantified in units such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
This measurable duration serves as a reference point to guide our daily lives. Chronological time has a past that is lost, a continuous fleeting present and an unrealized future. Chronological time appears over 50 times in the New Testament.
A season of the time represents life’s significant moments
Seasonal time, or an appointed time, might be best understood by the following three questions and answers:
Questions:
- What is the most important moment in your life?
- Who is the most important person in your life?
- What is the most important thing you can do?
Answers:
- Now, immersed in the present moment.
- The person standing in front of you.
- What you’re sharing with that person that you are presently engaged with, right now.
A season of the time can also be described as being immersed in each and every encounter or event in one’s life no matter how mundane or seemingly insignificant the experience or event may seem to be. Being present and involved rather than thinking about what you need to do in the future or thinking of what you have done in the past.
When traveling through the passages of chronological time, when “kairos” intersects with “chronos,” real meaningful living experiences occur at their union. A season of the time is mentioned and appears at least 80 times in the New Testament.
A story representing ‘kairos’
There was a man who once attended a wedding reception in a large ballroom and began talking to a woman who, incidentally, became his wife. The next thing they noticed was that the waiters were clearing the tables and chairs, and the ballroom was nearly empty. What happened? They were immersed in the season of the moment, and chronological time stood still.
This story illustrates the blessing of “kairos” — of striving to stay in the present, to be in the moment, no matter if you are washing the dishes or teaching a child how to read. Staying here in the present, not in the past or future, helps us experience the fullness of life and the richness of living.
Eternity of time
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, during liturgical services, one experiences “kairos.” The experience is understood as a decisive moment where Christ enters into chronological time, when eternity (“aion”) touches the present and where heaven and Earth meet.
In the Orthodox Church, the Divine Liturgy, the centerpiece of our worship, actually brings believers into the “age to come” (the “aion” of the Kingdom) even while we are still living in “chronos.” It’s one of the most beautiful encounters where one can directly experience the sacramental life of the Holy Spirit of God.
Examples in Scripture of these three times
Luke 8:27: “For a long time (“chronon”) he had worn no clothes.”
Mark 1:15: “The time (“kairos”) is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age (“aion”).”
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