Time is an appearance and creation is eternal, with neither end nor beginning. Everything happens “here”, in the ungraspable moment. All recollections of the past exist nowhere but now. And all fantasies or dread of whatever the future may bring live here as well. This means the past is much more malleable than we think it is, and it changes as our context for it changes, which creates new future possibilities.
The idea that our experience of both the past and future is always taking place in the present is fascinating to me. So much of what we call “time” is filtered through memory and expectation. I’ve actually been thinking about these questions quite a bit lately, and a recent rewatch of Donnie Darko certainly didn’t help simplify them lol
Love this question. As children, time feels expansive. As adults, it often feels compressed but the clock keeps the same pace throughout. I think that maybe what we experience is not just time, but our position within it. The more years we carry the differently we perceive their passing. A year occupies a much larger portion of a child’s life than it does an older person’s. Does time change us more than we change time? How much of what we call its passage is actually our growing awareness of finitude?
I sought to know the course of things before their hour had come
The stream replied by moving onward through the waters.
Love this Mandy. I love how the stream is so kind in return… so gracious. It (He) remains moving and working even when He does not reveal everything He is doing right away 🩶
“Every generation inherits uncertainty and mistakes its own horizon for the edge of the world.” I think this is one of your best reflections. Or maybe it just resonated with me that much. I think by seeking God, we will feel more secure with our place in time as a by product, as He imparts His wisdom upon us. The Spirit is our compass because He was there in the very beginning as well. We might need to fear God more to stop seeking answers about our future.
Thank you, Jordan. I’m glad that line stood out to you. I think seeking God often changes our relationship with uncertainty even when it doesn’t answer every question we carry.
Very thought provoking! You lead the reader down the path, or the river, while talking about the reality and experience of the river. I believe that you’ve captured the notion and experience of time. Beautifully written! Thanks!
I believe that sometimes we want to know the future because of fear or unbelief. Our human minds cannot always grasp that God is Creator and that He can create out of nothing. We want to know the future because we do not know the how. How will He heal? How will He redeem?
Other times, we want to know the future because we have hope and we are curious. We trust that He is able, and we do not worry about the how. Like children, we simply want to explore and find out without fear.
Thank you. I’ve always found that idea fascinating as well. It changes the way we think about so many things when God is not confined to time as we are.
I really enjoyed this thoughtful collection of reflections, Mandy! I will be pondering this question in the week ahead! I think it’s one to give some thought to. Our desire for knowing the future I think has a root in wisdom, fear and curiosity- possibly all at once? Maybe one more heavily than the other, depending on the present realities we are experiencing?
Maybe it just is a giant arrow, no matter where the emphasis is, that God has set eternity in the human heart. We know by instinct that there is more to this life.
Thank you. I think you’re onto something. The desire to know what lies ahead may come from several places at once, which is part of what makes the question so interesting.
This really resonated— “The river does not need to see the sea in order to reach it.” It brought up the reality of life — it begins and flows its course as guided by its creator , God.
And the portion about the questions we carry, they’ve been carried and answered only in a different age.
Do you think our desire to know the future is rooted in wisdom, fear, curiosity or something else? What comes to mind is a prisoner that has a set day for release, or somebody on parole. Neither wisdom or fear dominate the mind, hope does. Thinking about the future is left to those that are not happy enough to free themselves from over-cognition, or so I think right now, hah.
Love the ghazal! The repeating water was neat. hope all is well!
I love that you shifted the conversation away from knowledge and toward expectation. The prisoner isn’t necessarily trying to control the future; he’s looking toward something he believes is coming. That feels different from fear and different from curiosity. Thank you for adding that perspective. I hope all is well (:
This is beautiful. I especially appreciated the contrast between how we experience time one moment at a time while God sees the whole landscape at once. I think our desire to know the future is often less about curiosity than control. We long for certainty because uncertainty exposes how dependent we really are. Yet perhaps that’s exactly where faith grows—not in seeing the whole river, but in trusting the One who already knows where it leads. Thank you for such a thoughtful reflection. This one deserves publishing.
This is so good!!! Thank you
Thank you so much, Pascal.
Loved this.
Time is an appearance and creation is eternal, with neither end nor beginning. Everything happens “here”, in the ungraspable moment. All recollections of the past exist nowhere but now. And all fantasies or dread of whatever the future may bring live here as well. This means the past is much more malleable than we think it is, and it changes as our context for it changes, which creates new future possibilities.
And all of it happening here, of course.
The idea that our experience of both the past and future is always taking place in the present is fascinating to me. So much of what we call “time” is filtered through memory and expectation. I’ve actually been thinking about these questions quite a bit lately, and a recent rewatch of Donnie Darko certainly didn’t help simplify them lol
Put it this way. You know how when you’re a kid, time crawls and then as you get older it speeds up?
Love this question. As children, time feels expansive. As adults, it often feels compressed but the clock keeps the same pace throughout. I think that maybe what we experience is not just time, but our position within it. The more years we carry the differently we perceive their passing. A year occupies a much larger portion of a child’s life than it does an older person’s. Does time change us more than we change time? How much of what we call its passage is actually our growing awareness of finitude?
So then it begs the question, is it actually time or simply relationship to creation and changing perspective?
Yes and frames of reference.
This is true for everyone all the time. What does that tell you about its nature?
Wow Mandy, this is so good! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you Jason (:
I sought to know the course of things before their hour had come
The stream replied by moving onward through the waters.
Love this Mandy. I love how the stream is so kind in return… so gracious. It (He) remains moving and working even when He does not reveal everything He is doing right away 🩶
“Every generation inherits uncertainty and mistakes its own horizon for the edge of the world.” I think this is one of your best reflections. Or maybe it just resonated with me that much. I think by seeking God, we will feel more secure with our place in time as a by product, as He imparts His wisdom upon us. The Spirit is our compass because He was there in the very beginning as well. We might need to fear God more to stop seeking answers about our future.
Thank you, Jordan. I’m glad that line stood out to you. I think seeking God often changes our relationship with uncertainty even when it doesn’t answer every question we carry.
Really good! Fear of death and pride, I think, governs fallen human desire to control time.
Thank you
Very thought provoking! You lead the reader down the path, or the river, while talking about the reality and experience of the river. I believe that you’ve captured the notion and experience of time. Beautifully written! Thanks!
Thank you so much Richard.
I believe that sometimes we want to know the future because of fear or unbelief. Our human minds cannot always grasp that God is Creator and that He can create out of nothing. We want to know the future because we do not know the how. How will He heal? How will He redeem?
Other times, we want to know the future because we have hope and we are curious. We trust that He is able, and we do not worry about the how. Like children, we simply want to explore and find out without fear.
I appreciate this thoughtful response. The tension between trust and uncertainty is something I think most of us spend our lives learning to navigate.
I love the theological concept of God existing in an eternal NOW and what that means for our past, present, and future.
Thank you. I’ve always found that idea fascinating as well. It changes the way we think about so many things when God is not confined to time as we are.
Agreed! Did you ever see the Arrival movie?! It gave me additional “What if?” thoughts around time and our linear life.
I need to rewatch. Its been a minute since I have seen it.
I really enjoyed this thoughtful collection of reflections, Mandy! I will be pondering this question in the week ahead! I think it’s one to give some thought to. Our desire for knowing the future I think has a root in wisdom, fear and curiosity- possibly all at once? Maybe one more heavily than the other, depending on the present realities we are experiencing?
Maybe it just is a giant arrow, no matter where the emphasis is, that God has set eternity in the human heart. We know by instinct that there is more to this life.
Thanks for such a thoughtful post.
Thank you. I think you’re onto something. The desire to know what lies ahead may come from several places at once, which is part of what makes the question so interesting.
Lovely, Mandy,
This really resonated— “The river does not need to see the sea in order to reach it.” It brought up the reality of life — it begins and flows its course as guided by its creator , God.
And the portion about the questions we carry, they’ve been carried and answered only in a different age.
What a blessing the ghazal is!
Thank you. I’m grateful it resonated with you.
Mandy! Great question.
Do you think our desire to know the future is rooted in wisdom, fear, curiosity or something else? What comes to mind is a prisoner that has a set day for release, or somebody on parole. Neither wisdom or fear dominate the mind, hope does. Thinking about the future is left to those that are not happy enough to free themselves from over-cognition, or so I think right now, hah.
Love the ghazal! The repeating water was neat. hope all is well!
I love that you shifted the conversation away from knowledge and toward expectation. The prisoner isn’t necessarily trying to control the future; he’s looking toward something he believes is coming. That feels different from fear and different from curiosity. Thank you for adding that perspective. I hope all is well (:
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the
pearl of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realise now
that I must give all that I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
- R.S. Thomas
Always appreciate the quotes you share!
This is beautiful. I especially appreciated the contrast between how we experience time one moment at a time while God sees the whole landscape at once. I think our desire to know the future is often less about curiosity than control. We long for certainty because uncertainty exposes how dependent we really are. Yet perhaps that’s exactly where faith grows—not in seeing the whole river, but in trusting the One who already knows where it leads. Thank you for such a thoughtful reflection. This one deserves publishing.
I am so obsessed with the colors on your erasure.
Thank you <3
This collage is unbelievable good - when I stumbled upon it on instagram I thought, that’s some impressive art.
Thank you (: