Spatial Priorities
My times are in Your hand; save me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Psalm 31:16
Times – Let’s think about time. What seems so obvious turns out to be much harder to conceptualize than we thought. What is this thing called “time”? As soon as we begin to explain it, we run into words about space, not about time. We describe time as if it were a spatial dimension. We use words like “before” and “after.” We draw a line on a page and talk about the past, present and future, pointing to places on the line. We throw around words like “timeline” and “future plans.” We admit that we have no control over what will happen tomorrow, but we still think of tomorrow as “someplace” out there, waiting to come onto the stage of the present. A lot of this conceptualization comes from Greek philosophy which thought of time in terms of a river. Upstream was the future, flowing toward the place where we stand on the river bank (the present). Downstream is the past, those events that have already passed by us and recede from our view. When the Greek philosophers said that no man can step into the same river twice, they meant that everything is in flow. Every moment is unique, either moving toward us or away from us. The mythology of time travel depends on this spatial metaphor. Time travel is simply moving my position along the river bank.
Of course, theology grabbed this metaphor for all it was worth, postulating that God resides “outside” of time, viewing the whole line “at once.” (Did you notice that even describing this we are using spatial words, not time words?)
In 1962, James Barr wrote a small manuscript about the biblical words for time. He cited Orelli, concluding the Hebrew words “characterize time not as a pure continuum, as a universal entity or indeed as an abstract form, but as something as individual and concrete as possible.”[1] In other words, the Hebrew worldview sees time as particular events connected by other particular events. It does not see time as a kind of universal “line” which events are written upon. The Hebrew view is concrete, phenomenological and temporal. It is the view of flow, of life events melding one into another.
In this verse, the paradigm word of time (‘et) is directly connected to David’s life experience. This is typical of the Hebrew view. There is no abstract, universal, theoretical view of time. There is what happens.
OK, so what? Why do we care about these esoteric ideas? Ah, we care because once we adopt the Greek view of a universal continuum that “floats” events toward us, we start to think as if the events already exist out there. What we will do tomorrow is already fixed in eternity. We are only waiting to see it happen in the present. And, of course, that means that the events are determined before they come into our present. The spatial fallacy suddenly creates a huge problem – the problem of free will. That problem spills over into omniscience, infallibility, impassibility and immutability. Suddenly the simple view of flow takes on enormous logical difficulties. We start to believe that the course of our lives is determined “ahead of time” and that we are only playing out the scenes that were written down before we were born. The paradigm pushes us to some sort of fatalism – as Greek paradigms are wont to do. We know that something isn’t right about this. After all, people are responsible for their choices. But we don’t know how we got into the mess in the first place, so we can’t find out way out.
It’s time to ask some serious questions about the paradigm. If Hebrew is a language of dynamic flow, a language that derives its concepts from its verbs, then maybe there’s another way to look at this world, a way that looks at the whole idea from the perspective of relationships, not universal principles.
What do you think?
Topical Index: time, ‘et, paradigm, flow, Psalm 31:16
[1] Barr, Biblical Words for Time, p. 95.
I think I am eager to hear more about this.
Makes me think of the Byrds concert back in Berdoo, circa 1966
Turn! Turn! Turn! Lyrics
Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late
Now THAT was a great song.
anytime (yes, -that is a pun) Scripture is set to song, it is (as Martha would say) “a good thing”.
Ah, “time” to display my ignorance. Should I close my eyes and jump?
There are two kinds of time! -(remember?). I do. And did it ever impact my life. (that is a good thing). I hope this impacts you as it has me and in the same way. Once again, (funny how that works..) we need to “think scripturally” concerning “time.”
Well.. “what saith the scripture?” (think with me, people..) Anything yet?… What about- “redeeming the time” because the days are evil? Or what about encouraging(?) words from Ecclesiastes about our wasted existence and life of futility and emptiness. (poor Solomon)- the man who had it all and had nothing. Poor guy.
Two kinds of time. This is the “time” we all first encountered. Tick, tick, tick goes the clock. It is “measurable” time. 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, etc. It “flows” in one direction. From birth to death- a man was born, he lived, then he died. zzz- wake up Solomon! -And it happens every day (a unit of measurement). We measure the moments of our lives, by the clock and by the calendar. This is “chronos” time. (How long did it take me to write the preceding words?) lol!… was it “worth it?” 🙂
Time #2. It is “kairos” time! (I hope someone is smiling!) “a propitious moment for decision or action”. I (and others) define it as a “G-d moment”. It is “when G-d shows up.” “Sometimes” it is glimpses of glory, – sometimes these “moments” are sustained a little longer. “G-d appointed time.” July 26th, 2008 -brother Skip)
In the book of Acts it “shows up” as “times of refreshing that come from the presence of the LORD.” “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. (Acts 3.19-20)
Every one of us is given the opportunity to experience these “times of refreshing.” Repentance is all that is necessary! When the errant son repented the Father “ran” to meet him. (I believe this was the only “time” G-d was ever in a hurry!)-lol!
I have noticed after years of deja vu all over again, every day I wake up everyday to a new day. And my days seem to come one at a time. (Do yours?) -I tried living my life two days at a time, but found my life seemed to be going by twice as fast so I returned to the “one day at a time” lifestyle. Today, (yesterday’s tomorrow) is where I live. Right here and right now. -Here’s a bit of good news. G-d is “with me” – right here, right now. He is the G-d of “what’s happening now!” He is intricately and intimately involved in our lives, ever at work, fashioning us after the image of the Son. That is a beautiful thing. It is G-d that works in us (now) both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
I cannot see “the end from the beginning”, but G-d can (and does). (July 26th 2008-“the seventeenth”-brother Skip) Yes, oh yes, he knows how it will end and has already told us about it in a very special book. “Meanwhile”- (back at the ranch..) the clock goes tick,tick,tick. Chronos time continues, but “kairos time” is what I’m looking for and living for. I’m watching for Him! I do not want to miss a single outpoured blessing He daily bestows. When a cloud comes between me and the hot sun I want to be praising Him. When a cool breeze passes over my sweaty face on a hot day, I want to be praising Him. When I lay my tired body down on clean sheets, I want to be praising Him. When I turn on the faucet and have warm water to wash my face, I want to be praising Him. When I slice open a juicy Florida orange and “taste” the unique flavor of this gift- I want to be praising Him. When I look into the face of a young child and see the intense beauty of innocent eyes, I want to be praising Him. When I enter into the secret place of the early morning prayer closet- I want to be praising Him. With my next breath and with my next heartbeat- I want to be praising Him!
Hey… -does anyone know what time it is??
“Time” is one of G-d’s greatest gifts to us. It cannot be saved. It can only be used or spent. How are you spending the time given unto you? Who (or what) are you giving your time (and attention) to?
“Forever is composed of nows.” (Emily Dickinson)
“Today,” -if you will hear His voice..
Hi Carl,
Speaking of Emily Dickinson, outside of your Bible, have you ever read anything more beautiful than the following poem?
My life closed twice before its close;
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
Just recently Skip posted a commentary – Paradigm Shifts: A Change in Method. In this commentary we read:
“Abraham Herschel once said that something sacred hangs in the balance of every moment. He knew that consultation and contemplation go hand in hand. He knew that God is the Lord of all my times and I need only STOP, LOOK and LISTEN if I am to know what God asks of me next.”
This observation/perspective is directly related to this day’s commentary by Skip. Carl’s quote of Scripture is quite appropriate as well … the day is today and the time is now! Moments are related to actions and reactions. If I want my very last moment to be a tribute to my LORD and MASTER … I can either hope that things work out this way … or I can try my hardest to make every moment/event a tribute to HIM!
A tall order indeed but a sacrifice that is worthy for HIM. And …. ironically it is a self serving sacrifice is it not? For who is the ultimate beneficiary of self sacrifice/submission? Assuredly we are the beneficiary!
The bottom line (as Skip implies herein) … we just seem to be too intelligent for our own good at times; or should we state we seem to be too foolish for our own good at times! Sadly in many cases it is more like “most of the time”!