Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Time Is?

What is time?

I think of time as a well-defined measurement that I use to measure events and the interval between significnt occurrences in my life.

A while ago, I was involved in a radical discussion the about time. It was fascinating to think about something that while we spend a great deal of effort defining, but something we really do not understand.

Is there really time? Or is time a creation of man to help measure the days until we die?

Animals do not concern themselves with time-maybe because they do not understand that one day they will die. And so they live day to day without fear of their impending death.

God does not seem concerned with time to the degree that we people are concerned. We measure time to the nanoseconds. God moves within time in terms of eras and ages and millennia.

So, why am I so worried about time? Is it because each passing second reminds us me that I am that much closer to dying? But then dying is really not death, but only an address change. And in eternity I will not be concerned with time--I think that is why it is so hard for me to conceive of heaven because I think an eternity is such a long period of time, when in fact if there is no time, eternity just is.

I found the following on one website:

"There is considerable misunderstanding in society concerning the nature of time. Time simply is; it cannot do anything. Time provides the historical framework in which things happen, but time has no innate ability itself. To express the same thought in different words: time is quantitative, not qualitative. This is a most important distinction with several implications."


Is time constant? No. I can readily see how time ebbs and flows in my own live. Although I believe time to be constant, I think about periods when I am fully absorbed--time passes and I hardly notice it. Yet, when waiting for something to happen--like departing for a trip, time crawls.

A few months ago I blogged about nearly being in a traffic accident and how time slowed allowing me to act and react to each new event in the scene--and ultimately avoid the car that turned in front of me.

The answer to time-fright is to enjoy each day to the fullest. Enjoy each sunrise and sunset and each moonrise and set.

Yes, I look at my watch waiting for time to pass--but if there were really no time, what would I do to measure the progression of events? Perhaps, I would be free. I would be finished when the project was complete and I could depart when I am ready rather than waiting for the clock to announce quitting time.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

2 comments:

Jeremy Doan said...

Time is how we measure events that happen between Steelers games :-) I'm pretty sure that is common knowledge :/)

Bob Doan said...

Alternatively, it could be for measuring events that happen between Orioles World Series wins.

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