The NT vocabulary of time.
Have you ever felt trapped by Aristotelian time?
What do I mean? I amen appointments piling up one on top of another, looming deadlines, missed opportunities, pressing responsibilities and obligations, inability to turn the clock back, counting days to the next paycheck, or fearing the next utility bill or a loan payment day.
I think we all know this feeling of being trapped by time, which the Greeks called CHRONOS. Chronos was supposed to be a god, in truth, it was and remains a monster. I mean trapped by this time which flows relentlessly yet without purpose; time with direction yet without meaning. This is to be trapped in endlessly flowing slimy time, trapped by time which we do not control, trapped by time which is used by others to controls us. Trapped by time, with who knows who is in control.
Thankfully there is another time possible. In the bible it is called KAIROS. It is a prophetic time, the time which breaks in, the time which enables us to break out. It is the divine time, time of divine opportunity, time controlled by our God and Saviour, it is an anti-chronos time. KAIROS is an invitation to an alternative perception of time, of ourselves, and of every meaning. KAIROS is the time of divine opportunity and an invitation to freedom. If you feel trapped by time, this Sunday’ lectionary reading (Mark 13: 24-37) is an invitation for you. The apocalyptic Jesus will teach us how to be liberated by Kairos time.
No comments:
Post a Comment