Time is a fundamental component of living. Day-to-day people operate in a rush whilst reaching out for their dreams as in the process they run out of time. Moreover, personal progressions and advancements of technology entail incorporation of notions and postulations which make reference to time. For example, physical quantities which are part and parcel of our daily lives such as speed, energy and power cannot be quantified without measuring time.

Nevertheless, measuring time itself is not a straightforward process. There have been a number of theories before conforming to currently accepted definition of time measurement (operational time) where seconds make a minute and then an hour.

In the Bible, it appears that time began at the beginning of the creation when God created light and darkness and events began to unfold one after another. It is not revealed about the existence of time before creation, nonetheless, it does not appear to be the phenomenon of eternity where everything seems to happen at ‘once’.

Probably, the most conventional definition of time could be that time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them. We cannot touch time yet we are limited in it. For example we only have 24 hours in a day where we need to achieve our daily objectives. Having said that though, there remains a question that if time is a product of human limitation in addition to being a limiting factor towards humans.

The human brain processes information in a limited speed. For instance, a study conducted at the University of Arizona revealed that events which happened in real time are processed about 6-8 times faster when the brain is in its fastest processing state (when a person is asleep).¹ This means in its most efficient state, the brain performs in a limted speed. In scriptures Jesus said to his disciples that he had much more to tell them, much more knowledge than they could bear at that time (John 16:15) reinforcing the fact that it takes time for the brain (mind) to process, consolidate and utilise the teaching Jesus imparted. Hence, this implies that the human brain despite having the capability to process information quicker than the rate at which the events unfold in real world, it cannot process all-day-events at once. Thus, it can be argued that the limited capacity of the brain to process information leads to a rise of the concept of ‘time’.

On the other hand, when exploring further the influence of time on human race, time is one of the defining phenomena affecting humans in our universe. Human beings are determined by geography and time in their physical existence as physicists endeavour to explain in their Space-Time concept where one object in the universe can be expressed with coordinates of space and time. This fact is also mentioned in Acts 17:26 – ‘…He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live…’

In another part of the Bible, it is mentioned that the man’s days are counted indicating that humans experience only measured time. This implies that  human beings are defined in time, dwelling in a subset of time. Therefore, time is not only the consequence of physical body limitations but also it restricts human beings within its brackets.

Everything that is done in this universe appears to be fixed within time – there is a time to be born, to die, to scatter, to gather and etc. There is time for everything under heaven. Hence, the most relevant and precious resource we have is time and we experience all that life has for us within it.

This further prompts us to ask a pertinent question – ‘’When is ‘time’?’’ To answer this question, I like to think about an ‘Hourglass’. In this glass, sand flows from an upper to a lower compartment and it reminds me that the past is behind us, it is a history. The future is not yet within reach. ‘Now’ (today) is a gift, as known as the present. Now is the full richness of resources and everything we have. Now is when the opportunities are and every action we undertake within time (now) has impact on our future. Nevertheless, it is dropping past us.  Hence, now is when we are required to make the best use of time as it is written that we need to ‘redeem the time’.

Since time is the most precious and scarce resource humans have, the best gift that can be given could be time. Even God’s best gift was time that he became a human being and entered into time.   

Reference:

1.      http://www.physorg.com/news114358469.html

EA