"Time" is experienced differently when life is lived in the presence of God. The person who dwells in Christ not only sees and hears differently, but experiences time as kairos more than as mere chronos. One savors the present moment as God-saturated. Conversely, life lived out of the presence of God awaits some future clock-time-moment when God arrives on the scene.
Nouwen writes: "Once we discover that writing letters, attending classes, visiting friends, cooking food, and even doing the dishes are not a series of random activities but contain within themselves the transforming power of re-creation, we move from time lived as chronos to time lived as kairos (right time, the real moment, the opportunity for change, the chance of a lifetime). When our time becomes kairos, endless new possibilities and opportunities open up to our vision." (p. 9)
I sip this cup of coffee, savoring the taste. I type these words, now. In a few moments I will make Linda dinner, and we will watch a movie together. In all this I am not just "passing time" until God does something "huge" in my life. My eyes are not on some distant place where God is now moving. Christ, the hope of glory, dwells in me!
Therefore: This is the moment of salvation; the chance of a lifetime.
