February 2008

Chronos is the moment that is simply part of the chain of time, the movement of the hands on a clock, whereas ‘kairos’ is not just the passage of time but rather it depicts time that is perceived as significant, demanding of response. ‘Kairos’ is defined as the opportune moment when the divine or the eternal intervenes in human history or when prophecies are fulfilled. In other words, ‘kairos’ is God’s time! So often, especially when we are going through something, we want things to happen in our time, we don’t want to wait on God – our faith gets shaken up by appearances, by our circumstances and we choose to live in fear, because we can’t see our way clear.

This month, Chap has a powerful word for us, a reminder of who Christ is and of who you can be in Christ; but in order for that to become your reality, you have to decide what you will allow to take root in you – where will your faith lie? Are you going to cling to the safety of your comfort zone or are you willing to let God’s change, God’s healing, be lived out in your life?

The writer Parker Palmer speaks of learning to ‘stand under’ an experience with humility, respect and expectation – remaining open to the lessons that our challenges and perplexing experiences may teach us. He believes that sometimes we have to ‘stand under’ an experience a long time before it becomes clear and before we can see God’s presence and know the way in which it may mirror God’s call to us. So know deep in your heart, that God is going to make God’s move, right on time! This month we admire those who have surrendered to God’s change and healing.