Jude 25

Submitted by Andy McIlvain.

Time, what is it? Time is ubiquitous yet necessary for everyday life and all academic thought, but its fundamental nature remains a complete mystery.  Time is persistent and unaffected by humanity, by you and I. Time dominates all human enterprise (or seems to) and will not stop, slow down or be altered by any technology or industry. Nothing makes a difference to the unstoppable ticking of the clock.

In physics, time plays a major role in the measurement of motion and forces in the cosmos. Physics studies time, and most physicists agree that time had a beginning that is measured from and came into being with The Big Bang. The Arrow of Time refers to its one-way direction, which affects the way we perceive (feel) time as moving forward from the past, through the present, and into the future.

Now, even as you read this, this instantaneous slice of time is estimated to be 2-3 seconds, but then it’s gone before you can acknowledge it.  The next “now” is before you.

Time is studied in many different ways. Time is a generic term often studied as measurement, culture, literature, philosophy, physics, and psychology – to name a few.

Physics tells us that time is a result of the existence of matter (all physical substance). Time exists when and where matter exists. God however is not matter, he is a person. God created matter. Time began when God created the universe.

Time is also felt and experienced as duration, this is called “felt time”. Our clocks are benchmarks of change that indicate the passage of time (felt or otherwise). Whenever there is duration and change of any kind we know (or perceive) that time has passed. We see and feel this as we move through life, as we age.

Recent studies have revealed that our individual cells have clocks and that the circadian rhythm of our bodies (located in the brain) is in sync with the passage (duration and felt time) of time in the environment around us.

Yet time is not one thing but many things. We measure time, keep time, meet/ greet in time, and our daily lives are carried into the forward rush of time.

In Psalm 90:4, Moses uses this analogy in describing the timelessness of God: “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.” God is eternal, we are temporary.

Our physical lives are short, and we become weaker with the passage of time, but God does not change, weaken or diminish with the passage of time.  We can contemplate God in the everyday moments of our lives; the mundane and repetitive activities like going to work, walking, making a meal, doing laundry, or caring for our children are opportunities to pray to and contemplate God.

Let us therefore value our limited time and glorify God with it.