God's Time

Recently, a Christian friend shared thoughts on a very interesting concept of time. I share them here with you for some reflection.

The Greeks believe that there are two ways we experience time: Chronos & Chiros.

Chronos is the chronological time as we know it - measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries and millennia. It is considered as "man's time". It's the time that we most often measure our lives in. It all adds up, goes forward and not backward and we cannot avoid it.

Chiros time on the other hand is considered "God's time" or holy internal time, where time stops and we just live in the moment. It is special, distinct and holy. It is more about the meaning of the moment than about measuring the moments. It is therefore counted in value and quality. Chiros time has less to do with the tick-tock of our timepieces.

What is the practical difference between the two? Well, Chronos and Chiros are rooted in two different aspects of human experience. In the case of the former, it is social experience, and for the latter it is the life of the individual. If you have ever thought hard about individual versus social life, you have realized what a difficult balance we must maintain. If you let the worries of Chronos overtake your internal Chiros you’ll be a stress-ridden wreck. But if your Chiros time never gives way to the ways of the world and its Chronos, you will sacrifice your ability to succeed amongst other people, to be appreciated and well-liked.

It is important to recognize the difference between Chronos and Chiros in everyday life, and to live in each of them. Having an inner life (Chiros) will help you succeed in the tasks before you (Chronos).

In your own mind, your inner life, a moment can be stretched into almost an eternity, if you can bring that value to that moment. But if you relinquish your inner life to the relentless tick of the clock, the time will pass you by, and all the thoughts you might have thought will be lost.

Certain things have to be done – we need to work, to eat, to rest, and so on. Without those things, we die, quite simply. But being human comes with other needs, too. We need to think, to love, to experience beauty, to create beauty. Without those things, we might as well be dead. Why is that? Why do humans need these other things, above and beyond their basic survival? I am tempted to say the answer to that question does not matter. But it does. Answering that question is part of those things we humans need to do, to stay human.

So, are you living on Chronos or Chiros time?

We should all take some Chronos to ponder that question.

Adapted from http://tallis.wordpress.com/2004/06/page/2/