I was watching an advertisement for an American hamburger chain (Chick-fil-A) this week and it had a powerful message about time. It talked about lost time and time that flies but its main point was that Christmas should be about together time. As we take a break for Christmas may we have the opportunity to make the time to be together. The Christmas story though, is about God entering into time and becoming one of us. The creator of the universe who existed outside of time chose to be constrained by time and yet when we read the gospels Jesus always had time to touch someone, to heal someone, to encourage someone and even to challenge someone. 

In Ecclesiastes 3 Solomon words have stood the test of time and are a good reminder for us all:

1  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2   a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3   a time to kill and a time to heal,  a time to tear down and a time to build,

4   a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5   a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6   a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7   a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8   a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

In verse 11 Solomon refers to a concept that is outside of time - eternity, when he states that God has set eternity in the human heart.  As a Christian I am part of a much bigger story that includes both time and eternity. 

This Christmas may you take the time to reflect on the significance of Jesus entering time as part of God’s plan to provide a way for us to live with Him in eternity. 

David Ware