Advent: Week 2
Chad Karger
Monday, December 7
I’ve heard people say before, “It’s not the quantity of time, but the quality of time that counts.” That’s usually connected with a longer discussion about how we have so little time to give one another.
This is the sort of thing we say to ourselves when we think of time as tics on the clock. When time is measured in seconds, minutes, and hours, we usually focus on what we don’t have. We become focused on deadlines and constraints. It’s a race against time! As such, time is the problem, not a gift from God.
This Advent season, let’s think about time as encounters, experiences, and opportunities. What if you approached each day on the lookout for these instead of seeing time as sand running through the hourglass? What if you saw the day filled with possibility and people with whom to connect? At the very least, it would slow us down. It would lead us to share more of our time with those who need it. And it would be quality time well spent!
As German theologian Jurgen Moltmann says,
“The modern man has a great many encounters, but does not really experience anything, since although he wants to see everything, he internalizes nothing and reflects upon nothing. He has a great many contacts but no relationships, since he is unable to linger because he is always in a hurry. Only the person who lives slowly gets more out of life.”
When we see time as a gift from God, we will come awake to the present, the people around us, and the beauty hidden in plain sight. We will slow down and linger in these moments. We’ll lean forward with listening ears and watchful eyes. We’ll look for ways to give our time to others because, after all, God has given us so much!
This Advent season, let's slow down in order to enjoy the gift of time and share our time with others.