Chapter 9
Good Monday morning to this week 9 of 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Little Jonah\u2019s godfather telephones and Jonah picks up. \u201cJonah, let me speak to your Dad!\u201d Jonah whispers softly, somewhat agitated: \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d \u201cWhy not?\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s busy.\u201d \u201cThen get your Mom for me!\u201d Jonah, still whispering: \u201cI can\u2019t do that either.\u201d \u201cWhy can\u2019t you?\u201d Jonah says very softly: \u201cShe is busy too. The police are here.\u201d The godfather, increasingly worried, asks: \u201cWhat is going on there? Then put one of the police officers on the phone!\u201d \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d \u201cWhy?\u201d \u201cThey are busy, too, and the firefighters are here.\u201d The godfather is really agitated now: \u201cFor heaven\u2019s sake what are they all so busy about?\u201d Jonah: \u201cShh, not so loud. I\u2019m hiding under the sofa with the telephone and they are all looking for me.\u201d
A kairos moment for little Jonah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, \u201cWhat should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?\u201d Then he said, \u201cI will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, \u2018Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.\u2019 \u201d But God said to him, \u201cYou fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?\u201d ( Luke 12:16-20 )<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Jesus describes here is a great deal more: a human being who is completely self-absorbed. The linguistic signal of this is that he is presented entirely through internal monologues. This man knows no one but himself. He doesn\u2019t ask about anyone else. He presents an image of absolute egocentricity. The moment in which he sees that his fields are producing an abundant harvest could become a kairos for him, an occasion to think of others\u2014maybe even to think of God. But his orbit is only himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So our parable shows us that it is not only profound self-fixation that makes it impossible to perceive the coming of the reign of God\u2014no, even a full concentration on the necessities, plans, forces, and cares of everyday life does the same. The wheat farmer wants to avoid those forces once and for all. But he cannot escape his own orbit! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the New Testament, kairos means “the appointed time in the purpose of God,” the time when God acts, the kairos is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Kairos used 86 times in the New Testament refers to an opportune time, a “moment” or a “season” such as “harvest time”. I refers to a specific amount of time, such as a day or an hour or as Jesus did, he makes a distinction between “His” time and “His brothers'” time. There are times in hisotry, the kairoi crisis time which create an opportunity for and indeed demand, an existential decision by the human subject, the coming of Christ as prime example or in in liberation theology of South Africa, the appointed time, the crucial time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, before the Divine Liturgy begins, the Deacon exclaims to the Priest, Kairos tou poi\u0113sai t\u014d Kyri\u014d. It is time [kairos] for the Lord to act’, indicating that the time of the Liturgy is an intersection with Eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This past week started with a kairos moment of a very powerful, dangerous and foolish leader. Yet, this can call forth another kairos moment an “It is time” moment.
It is time for the Lord to act!
Wishing you a blessed start to this new week! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philemon <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 9 Good Monday morning to this week 9 of 2022 Little Jonah\u2019s godfather telephones and Jonah picks up. \u201cJonah, let me speak to your Dad!\u201d Jonah whispers softly, somewhat agitated: \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d \u201cWhy not?\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s busy.\u201d \u201cThen get your Mom for me!\u201d Jonah, still whispering: \u201cI can\u2019t do that either.\u201d \u201cWhy can\u2019t you?\u201d Jonah … <\/p>\n