Time Under the Gaze of Jesus

Time should be considered when we study the Bible.  Historical time, cultural time, and the present time are important to study. God uses time to teach, explain, and grow understanding. Nothing exists (even time) that does not owe its existence to God the creator. (CCC 338)

Recently when addressing the executives of the United Nations Agencies, Funds, and Programs, Pope Francis began with a story from another time.  He told the story of Jesus and the tax collector, Zacchaeus. (Luke, Chapter 19, 1 - 10).  Meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus made a radical change in his life for justice.  His conscience was awakened by the gaze of Jesus.  Pope Francis says that this gaze can be found in the face of the cast off, the suffering, and the left behind.

Psalms 39:9 - My entire life time is just a moment in your hand

Pope Francis had already identified modern society with a "Throwaway Culture."  He was discussing abortion when he made this reference.  This throwaway culture also extends to the injustice found in society.  In an abortion, society discards the future of the unborn.  Injustice in a "Throwaway Culture" discards the history, present, and future of the victims.  People, unborn or born, are not throwaways.

Even Christians can be participants in the throwaway culture. The throwaway resource is often the gift of time that can be given for justice.  Time is the gift of a moment from us to others which ultimately is from the hand of God.

Psalms 90:2 - From eternity to eternity your are God

There is a philosophy of time.  Two of these philosophical ideas are either all time is real (past, present, future) or only the present (now) is real.  St. Augustine said that the present is a knife edge between the present and the future.  This present cuts the past from the future because if now exists forever, it is eternity. 

Time is a real creation and labels only mark the reality of that existence.  The now exists as the moment that overtakes the future as it leaves the past.  In this relationship, what we have done in the past is important, what we do now is important, and what we do in the future is important.  Time no matter how it is labeled is not disposable; but, wasted time is a product of our "Throwaway Culture."  Cherish time as a gift given to us by God’s providence.  It should not be wasted. 

Following Zacchaeus’ example, we can change our hearts and by the blessings of grace the hearts of society.  A person should give there time generously and lavishly no matter what how they measure it.  Time may be an individual’s volunteer efforts, time may be counted in money, and time may be a person’s intrinsic talents.  It should be shared in subsidiarity.   

Political views no matter if they are conservative, liberal, socialist, communist, or libertarian are all relative.  They are established to control time and the talents of a society associated with that time.  Christians should not enslave their time to the relativism of these political and social agendas but should live in God’s providence; building a culture of life and a civilization of love, now and for the future.

The future ain’t what it used to be. - Yogi Berra

Under the gaze of Jesus that is found in the face of others, I realize the truth about time.  A human life time is just a moment in eternity and the action the moment touches the past, present, and future.  I want Jesus’ gaze on my life time to be in moments of prayer and worship; moments making a difference in the moments of others.  Moments found now and in the future and in the past.