Article December 24, 2012 Issue

Some thoughts on time

Tom Taffel

Do you have a moment to spare? Here are some ideas relating to time, which I’ve worked and prayed with over the years.

Interestingly, the word moment is derived from the Latin word momentum, meaning motion and movement. Originally, the word moment had nothing to do with time. It simply meant a weight, a particle sufficient to turn the scales. And so a moment is a turning point, a moving power, and I’ve come to see a moment as a force for good rather than a limitation of time.

Here is one of my favorite Albert Einstein quotes: “To those of us who believe in physics, this separation between past, present, and future, is only an illusion, if a stubborn one” (Jim Holt, “Time Bandits,” The New Yorker, February 28, 2005, p. 85). As we begin to see and accept time and space as “stubborn” illusions about eternity, we are able, to a degree, to transcend the so-called limits of time, and live more freely, fully, and fearlessly. For example, it may take time to become an expert, knowledgeable about and skilled at something; however, it does not take time to be loving, caring, and kind. These are timeless spiritual qualities.

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Beautiful answers