A couple of weeks ago, I introduced the idea of Chronos and Kairos.  Today, I am beginning a series of posts examining how we might live a Kairos existence in a Chronos world.  Remember, that Chronos is time in a line, from one minute to the next.  It is quantitative.  Kairos on the other hand, is qualitative time.  It is the present moment with the caveat — it is time infused with the presence of God, infused with eternity.  

One thing I struggle with is procrastination.   Not a surprise, I know.  I am at heart, a Kairos dude.  I want to have fun, be present and engaged.  That doesn’t mean I am good at it.  I struggle to be present in countless ways, some of which I will document in this series.  But as a procrastinator, I find myself putting off things of importance.  It isn’t just those things, but those are the things that matter.  For example, I might wait to make a call that is difficult, wait to start the writing process for a sermon, or even wait to make plans for an upcoming trip.  In some instances, this means I miss Kairos type moments.  I might not be prepared for them.  I might be doing less important things or more urgent non-important things, and that moment passes me by.  So, sometimes I miss for Kairos things, and sometimes I just miss Kairos things.  

And yet, time marches on.  We know that right?  Time keeps on marching.  I feel this in relation to my kids.  They are now 17, 15,14, 11 and 3, but the oldest three are all in high school.  This is crazy.  Time marches on.  There are many things I am fretting about, because I feel like I am running out of time with them.  I have things I want to teach them, practices and virtues I want to be a part of instilling in them, and time is running out.  EEK!

This is where the “chaos-monster” comes in.  Do you know what the “chaos-monster” is?  You can watch this Ted Talk:  https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator/discussion?curator=NeuroscienceREDEF.  So the “chaos-monster” ends up being the thing that moves me to action.  It gets me writing. It gets me engaged in my kids lives. It gets me calling, going, doing.  And yet it is often full of panic and stress, cause I feel the pressure.   Now, “chaos-monster” can mean good things.  The “chaos-monster” can also make me redeem the time and get after things.  However, the “chaos-monster” can also not do enough.  What I mean is that I end up not having good feel for Kairos time and moments, because I am thinking about what needs to get done that isn’t done.  The “chaos-monster” is toying with me even days before a deadline or years before one. When this happens, I can’t be present in the moment, because I’m thinking about what needs to get done and isn’t done yet.  

Chornos is a cruel task master, even when it acts as a motivator for getting things done in the form of the “chaos-monster.” It can help redeem the time, and yet it can steal away more time.  So, what can one do?  Paul calls the church in Ephesus to “be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeem the time, because the days are evil.”  What Paul is challenging this church to do is to actively engage with time (Chronos) to do good (Karios).   And wisdom knows the difference between Chronos and Kairos.  Wisdom knows that every moment is pregnant with the presence and glory of God in the midst of time marching on.  Wisdom knows that these moments can be stolen away by time (Chronos), either by wasting time, or by passing time or most significantly, by not knowing that this moment is holy (Kairos).  Now this doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t play on my phone or watch tv or read a book for entertainment alone.  It simply means that I am aware of the reality of moments.  Moments lived in the midst of time marching on, and that I live dependently in those moments with eyes to see both the “chaos-monster”and “the self-gratification monkey” (see Ted Talk), and an eye to see this moment pregnant with the presence and glory of God.  This moment right now is holy.  This moment is a Kairos moment in a Chronos world.  I am not a slave to latter, because Jesus has invaded it, and by invading Chronos, every moment because a holy moment.  He is nearer than our breath.  His Spirit is in us.  He is guiding us along by His providential hand.  So this moment is eternal and holy and sacred.  With this as the backdrop, in the coming weeks, I will talk about practices that might help us develop wisdom, so that we can redeem the time and be present in this moment.

By the way, I am writing this on a Monday.  The newsletter is due on Wednesday night.  Maybe I am learning, at least for this week anyway.