19th Sunday Kyros

An aspect of Geology that I learned to appreciate was time. I have held rocks over 1 billion years old; fossils hundreds of millions years old. Time happens over such broad and grand scales. A Principle in Geology is called the Principle of Uniformity. It means that the same geologic processes of the present were also active in the past, so to understand the past we look to our now.

Time in our modern work has shrunk. Those of us who are a little ancient remember know how long it took to start the internet only just 25 years ago; forever. Now, if we don’t get connected ASAP, there is that call to IT! When we text, if we don’t see those three dots in the reply right away…. We have become accustomed to rapidity; to having our desires and needs met NOW.

This is all Chronos time, the clock time. There is another form of time, Kyros; God’s time.  God’s time remains unpredictable. God works at times very quickly, and sometimes it seems so slowly. The skill for Kyros is patience and alertness.


Christian tradition holds that Jesus will come back, at some time, and with his second coming, the Kingdom of Heaven will be fully established. Sometimes I wonder if we take that too literally.  This too literal attitude leads to laziness. We think Jesus will do all the work, usually in a fiery cataclysmic utterly violent manner, and therefore all we have to do it just be ready when he comes. But… Jesus’ parables speak of a different way.

We know we are called to mission. We know that we have a part to play in building the kingdom now! And we believe that Jesus still remains at work with us NOW, in the building up of the kingdom.

Disciples remain vigilant, alert, to those moments when we can live out mission, when we can build the kingdom, and work with Jesus.

Ever have those moments when there was this impulse to do something differently and it turned out to benefit so many others? Or healed a hurting relationship; or helped to make that connection? 

A moment maybe when we were so angry at someone and we were ready to send that nasty email/text, or gossip about that person…and we heard that voice that said “Wait.” and we listened, we cooled down, and the other person came back and apologized. All turned out well.

A moment when we had to go out of our way to help someone, and that moment ended up helping someone accomplish a goal, or find some comfort.

A moment when we are overwhelmed, and something inside impels us to finally ask for help, and it becomes healing for us.

The Kingdom of heaven is not waiting until the end of time; but is a reality in the present and the now. All of this world God transforms through us, with us, now.

Faith opens us to see this. Faith inspires us to give to this Kingdom. Faith says “yes, God works now, somehow.” This has been the journey since God first called Abram, then called God called forth Israel and the prophets; since the Son of God incarnated and walked in our own time and space; and then 20 centuries…the same process going on.

I don’t imagine any of us will see the final work in this time and space, but we trust that it will have meaning and relevance for others. Faith means then we do our part for those future persons.

Faith allows us to see in our normal daily lives, opportunity for God.

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