Day Twenty Seven - Tempus Fugit/Time Flies!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”. (Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 9-11, NIV)

In recent weeks I have been thinking about the concept of Time. This past year of lock downs and restrictions has given all of us time to think, time to wonder and time to tackle that “to do” list. In conversation with other people one observation that comes up frequently is that despite everything time has flown by. Despite the stress and anxiety, the limitations of our homes, missing friends and family, being bored or longing to be free - the days have still flown by. Our church had to learn rapidly how to use new technology and move online. There have been sermons to write, worship services to design, meetings to arrange, Bible studies, a craft group and exercise class to adapt and all the time coping with the vagaries of Zoom. So, initially, we were busier than ever. That helped to speed up time.

Evenings were filled with a rich feast of entertainment via our television screen and internet. And then we discovered “Lost” (TV series 2004-2010). All 121 episodes! “Lost” is hugely entertaining and extremely clever. As my son said, “As long as you accept that every episode is crazy you will enjoy it”. The story begins with the survivors of a plane crash landing on an enigmatic tropical island where they begin to encounter many strange and, frankly, petrifying experiences. It is a remarkable feat of storytelling and covers themes such as life and death, light and darkness, an invisible enemy, time travel, hiddenness and mystery. As events unfold it is clear they are underpinned by a strong morality and understanding of what is right and what is wrong in human behaviour. The most abiding message is that of the authority of Love, which is eternal, especially love for one’s family and friends. So how “crazy” is it?

The writers addressed serious questions about eternal life, our darkest fears and deepest desires and just what is Time anyway? Writer and commentator Ryan Hamm states: “But the best science fiction asks even deeper questions. Consider a show like Lost (or, to a lesser extent, its spiritual successor Fringe). Over its six sometimes infuriating seasons, it managed to cover time travel, dualistic mythology, and the afterlife. But at its core was a question of belief: Was it better to rely on faith or reason?”

I was reminded of the Scripture: “With the Lord a day is like 1000 years and 1000 years are like a day” (Peter 3: 8). There are many themes within science fiction that draw on Christian concepts and a favourite is the ability to alter time. Relating this to Scripture we can see why our faith is an exciting, unpredictable adventure and surely this is good news. People already love these ideas – could this give us inspiration for conversations to help our outreach and evangelism?

Mindfulness is about living fully in the present moment, accepting that the present time is all we have in reality. It is living neither with regret, melancholy or homesickness for the past nor longing, striving and yearning constantly for future events. Being mindful is about being peaceful and accepting where we are right now and believing that God is with us in our present circumstances, that He loves us and has something important for us to learn in this season. We can live with hope because we are promised that our Father has a plan to bring us out and lead us on in His own perfect timing: “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29: 11).

There is an episode in “Lost” where two characters (after several episodes of exhausting time travel) finally settle down in the 1970s. It isn’t perfect, they accept the strangeness, but still find enduring love and contentment where they are. As we approach Easter and reflect on the pre-eminence of Jesus our transcendent Saviour, our thoughts turn to how He is the Alpha and Omega. He was at the beginning (John 1), won the victory through His death and resurrection and returned to be at God’s right hand in heaven (Hebrews 1). Let’s seek afresh all that God is revealing to us in this moment and be encouraged by Paul’s words:

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4: 12 & 13) being mindful that we are here “for such a time as this” (Esther 4: 14).

Ruth Leeming