Be There. Now.

Are we there yet? When our kids were little, this question often rose from the back seat; with family scattered across state lines, trips of several hundred miles were not uncommon. Since children live almost exclusively in the present tense, I know it seemed to them as if they had spent their entire existence in the car. As they grew out of childhood, they gained perspective and soon realized that a six hour ride will not be over in the first fifteen minutes, or the next, or the next.

I sometimes think this aspect of maturity (if that is what it is) does not serve us well. There is something to be said for living in the moment: carpe diem and all that. I once taught a college orientation class that encouraged students to “Be there. Now.” When in class, focus on the instruction and participate. When studying, limit distractions and make good use of the time. When relaxing, let go and totally be in the moment. Be there. Now. I like the emphasis; we can all benefit from the advice to invest our whole selves in whatever we are presently doing.

There might be a lesson for us in the Greek of the New Testament. There are two words which can be translated “time” in koine Greek: chronos and kairos. Chronos we can readily understand as we take our words chronograph and chronology from it. It imagines the linear nature of what we call time; it places events in order; chronological order we call it. This happened first, then that. I am typing now; soon I will be sleeping; in the morning I will wake up to face another day’s worth of time. Chronos. (See my blog on time if you want an exploration of the concept of time.)

Kairos, on the other hand, requires that we disregard the linear aspect of time and consider the quality of aptness or suitability. We say the moment is ripe for romance or remark that, “these are the times that try men’s souls.” If we are not sensitive to the “kairosity” of a situation, we may miss its import altogether. We contemplate the Jews waiting centuries for Messiah (chronosity,) then completely missing their place in the dispensation of God’s larger plan (kairosity) when Messiah appeared.

The Old Testament is full of men who spent time in God’s waiting room. Noah waited one hundred years while building the ark. Abram waited twenty-five years for the promised son. Moses waited forty years in the desert – twice. David waited fifteen years between his anointing and crowning as king. Hebrews eleventh chapter lists a pantheon of saints and closes with the haunting reminder that they did not receive the promise for which they waited.

Too often I am guilty of fretting (faithlessly) over chronology because I don’t get the “kairos” of my situation. John Eldridge (Ransomed Heart Ministries) speaks of seeing with the heart, which I think involves recognizing the “kairos.” Setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3) entails seeing beyond the folds of time (think Madeline L’Engle) and getting as much of a God perspective as our finite minds can bear. Dwelling on the past is pointless; worrying about the future is useless; living in the present is priceless. Our task is to discover what is each moment best suited for. Then we need to show up: be there, now.