A Time To…

WED., MAR. 4, 1998, 9:44 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Every now and again I need to turn your attention to the most well-known Scriptural passage from Ecclesiastes – 14 “a time to”’s. If you really are going to compose a Ruminations stemming from this perspective you know you must get started. It is nice to have fewer responsibilities, but this also abets your increasing slowness (or is it decreasing rapidity?) in accomplishing tasks. I shall lean on you about this, so you’d best get started.

This, of course, is an affirmation of both/and thinking, though not very blatant. In some cultures the first one of these “seasons” – a time to be born and a time to die – would seem very natural and quite obvious. Either because of cultural (even religious) values or primitive necessity there would just be the rather unemotional acceptance that given certain symptoms or injuries or length of life the time for life would be over and the time for death to be in its place.

Your culture, however, has the dominant perception that much can and should be done to maintain life and postpone death. Shortening one’s own life, even when its quality is much diminished, is seen as undesirable, even a crime. My Name, as Almighty God, is often used to defend this denial of “a time to die”. It is judged almost blasphemous that I, as Jesus, “arranged” My Own untimely death, being unwilling to accept that I gave My earth life up for the sins of all of you (even these many years later). Instead, the emphasis tends to be on… “They killed Jesus, against His and the Father’s Will”. And, of course, it is one of the “best” both/and issues in Holy Scripture.

A related admonition is, “a time to keep and a time to cast away”. When is it time to hold on to life and maintain it at great cost… or to a fully functional hand and fingers that now seems to have been “cast away”? As you moved from your larger office you did much “casting away”, and, as yet, you haven’t missed much of that. What will you do with the stacks on your table in the home study? What needs to be kept and how?

One of your minor struggles now is… to what extent should you seek further recognition among students that you have not had in a class or more or just let the losing and forgetting process continue as it will? You are still seeking, but you know that a “time to lose” will eventually prevail. You can slow the process, but you can’t do much to reverse it.

I have used the term “semi-monk” as one appropriate to the rhythm of life I see as desirable for you to seek and develop. This implies that you still have relationships… with Lenore, with your sons and their families, with some other family members, with the University, with the church… Still, I also want you to invest some time in contemplation, in tasks done alone, and with Me. (You notice that I say “invest” instead of “spend”, with the implication that such actions and non-actions will have more long-term benefits than merely “spending” time.

“A time to break down and a time to build up” can apply to… will you have a bigger garden this year… what must you take down in order to build up to a larger output. “A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” is another, related application for you. Holes and “bald spots” in your lawn need to be fixed with sod that can then leave more space for vegetable and flower plants. Opportunities that you missed last year are now with you again. What time is it now?

As you read over the names of people invited to your home to party in the early years of your time here you realized that the time for many friendships is “not very long”. Some have died, of course, while others have moved from the community. With many of the others the friendships just faded, as circumstances changed. As people grow and develop, in one or several ways, this growth can make them compatible with new folks… and less with friends who develop differently.