Friday, April 9, 2021
One of my favorite church hymns, by Isaac Watts, has a line in it that I think of frequently. In one of the verses, it speaks of “time, like an ever-rolling stream.” That metaphor conjures up just the right image of clock time, like a moving body of water that flows perpetually. While there is one dimension of life that moves forward, there is another that remains constant. The ever-rolling stream of time cannot be perceived unless we can also perceive its opposite – timelessness.
When I reflect on my history, I am amazed at how different things are, compared to a few years ago. I am even more amazed at how different things were 10, 20, or 30 years ago. But what’s even more amazing is that internally, I am the same person. On the physical level, the journey of time is moving you towards death, an inevitable journey of all humans. But death is not a destination, but a transition – a transition from time to timeless. Can you sense the timeless nature of your inner being? Your body has withered into a different form, but your inner awareness has remained the same for all of these years. Your beliefs and thoughts have changed too, but the one who hears those thoughts and holds those beliefs has remained changeless. Your inner being is still. It’s calm. It’s focused. Don’t get carried away by the flowing currents of form and of time. Connect to the still presence that is watching, listening, and observing time. The changeless nature of who you are is the one that transitions from this life to the next. Know it and spend time with it before it is introduced to you in death.