The golden light of this time of year pouring down upon trees who daily change their color from green to gold to orange and red invites us to slow to the pace of creation. Time itself feels different as the earth prepares to hibernate.
Chronological time tics away minute by minute hour by hour. I hurry to a meeting, eat lunch in the car, in a waiting room I schedule a dentist appointment, and I write notes for a sermon while I wait to pick up a daughter from rehearsal. Constantly I try to outrun the clock.
Kairos is another time altogether. It is Spiritual time. Webster’s says it is an opportune time. I like to think of it as the pace of our souls. Kairos is timeless. It is not predictable. And while we may not be thinking about it we are always waiting for Kairos to pull us out of Chronological time and into an experience of perfection or wholeness or completeness.
The gospel for Sunday Jesus tells a story about two men praying. One full of condescension essentially saying, “God thank you for not making me like those people over there.” And the other begging for God’s mercy. It is a story about the importance of humility in our salvation.
The root of the word humility is humus, or earth. To be human is to recognize our union with the earth and all humans. At times in the gospel Jesus is called the “human one.” In other words the humble one.
Being a good human has something to do with knowing our place. The reality that we are creatures dependent on the earth and others for our livelihood, conscious of our place in time and our role in community. This wisdom helps us to be slower moving more in time with our natural environment.
It is not difficult to find modern day people like the man in the story Jesus told. Full of entitlement, out of touch with the real purpose of life they spend their days focused on what they want and puffing up themselves in relationship to every other person.
Salvation is found in joining Christ’s human way. Humble as he was, all were lifted up in his presence.
Breathe with the trees as they change and recognize your own fading. Gaze at the sun when it is pouring down casting a golden light on all it touches and let it blind your eyes. Take your kids outside, look at the moon with your teenagers, hold hands as the sun comes up in the morning. There is something essential for our souls in breathing at the pace of creation. As you face your challenges and pray let Christ’s humble way slowly, compassionately make you into a new creation for love’s sake.
Lisa Senuta 