The Oasis - July 12, 2023

Author: Rev. Eric Dupee
July 12, 2023

In seminary, I wrote a paper on the subject of time and the difference between
chronological time and Kairos time. Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order
of occurrence in time. Kairos time is a moment in time in which God makes it possible for
something of lasting importance or significance to happen. A Kairos moment is about timeliness.
I know exactly when 4pm will arrive. I can plan for it and expect it. A Kairos moment can break
into our awareness unexpectedly and at any time.
Abraham Joshua Heschel viewed time as a means to achieve holiness. His book The
Sabbath is one of my favorites. We worship in a sanctuary in space. He argued the Sabbath, the
day God commanded that humans remember and keep holy, is a sanctuary in time.
In a way, I view the summer as a sanctuary in time also. The days seem longer. Many of
us have the chance to do things in the summer that we don’t have an opportunity to do at other
times of the year. I invite you to consider the time you have as a gift from God. Be aware of it.
Delight in it.
I leave you with this quote written by Ellen Goodman in the Washington Post: “What do I
want to take home from my summer vacation? Time. The wonderful luxury of being at rest. The
days when you shut down the mental machinery that keeps life on track and let life simply
wander. The days when you stop planning, analyzing, thinking and just are. Summer is my
period of grace.”
Blessings,
Eric

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