Trust God: His time is always right
In Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, there are two words for “time.”
One is chronos, which means a specific time.
The other is kairos, which is a time appointed by God.
Basically, we'll know it when we get there.
Think of childbirth, for example. A physician gives an expectant mother a due date when they can expect the baby to be born.
This is chronos time.
But we all know that due dates don't really mean anything; the baby will be born when the baby will be born, regardless of the date on the calendar.
This is kairos time.
In this season, which I have come to call “Covidtide,” many churches have been focused on chronos time. Closures and event schedules have been planned and extended with specific dates in mind, and have been adjusted accordingly. In our Western — particularly American, culture — chronos time is where we're comfortable.
We like to run according to the clock. What we have learned in the past two months is that chronos time is not a good measurement in our current situation.
As Drs. Anthony Fauci and Rachel Levine remind us often, the virus determines the timeline, not us.
It is much more uncomfortable for most of us to live in kairos time. There are so many unknowns, and we do not have the control that we so enjoy.
Kairos time, truly, is God's time.
As Jesus reminds us in Matthew's Gospel, “nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows.” 24:36, CEB
When we're talking about the second coming of Christ, this sentiment may be a bit more palatable. When it comes to our very lives here and now, it's a harder pill to swallow.
Friends, we don't know when COVID-19 will stop dictating our lives. We don't know when a vaccine will be available, when kids will go back to school, or when it will be safe to gather in large groups again.
Only God knows.
Our call, as people of faith, is to trust God. We are to believe that God is working, and that God is already there, preparing the way for us.
In these hours, days, weeks, and months of wishing and waiting, may we remember the call of the Psalmist: “Be still and know that I am God.”
The Rev. Leigh Benish is pastor of Hill United Presbyterian Church, 501 Second St. in Butler.
