Two Types of Time, With One Leading to Conversion
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
In ancient Greek, there were two words for time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is where the English word 'chronological' is derived. Instead of viewing time taking place minute by minute, hour by hour, Kairos time focuses on the special, transforming moments that a clock or calendar cannot measure.
The Sanai event is an example of Kairos time. God's revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai is not measured by how many hours or days the event lasted, but by the impact it had on Moses, then the Israelites, throughout history, and into our present world. It was a sacred moment that continues to unfold. Holy moments, like the Sinai event, provide new meaning or a new direction to one's life. These "turning points," "crises," and "conversions" reshape time. Our lives revolve around these key Kairos moments.
Numerous surveys confirm that most Americans have had a deep, transformative religious experience. The same surveys also confirm that most of those who admit to a transforming spiritual experience have shared their experience with few or anyone lest they be dismissed as "abnormal" or be labeled with some form of "mental illness."
Yet, this nation that so many politicians like to proclaim as "Christian" often rejects God's intervention if the Kairos conversion does not fit their narrow, safe definition. The word conversion literally means "turn" or "a change of direction." Conversion moments occur in one's life when time is reconsidered. Instead of looking back at your life from a Chronos perspective, try remembering it by marking the Kairos moments. When you reflect on those "turning points," you begin to see God's Spirit reaching into your life, guiding you through the "crisis" and reshaping it for the better. The act of remembering through a Kairos lens might just provide its own conversion moment. Give it a try!
