I used to have a wristwatch that kept the most accurate time on earth. It was an atomic watch that never needed to have its time or date set or adjusted. Every night it would receive a low frequency radio signal from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s US atomic clock in Colorado. Since then, I have marked my time with other timepieces from Apple or Fitbit. These timepieces kept me on schedule with all the many events in my life. When I reflect on this week’s Gospel message of Jesus’ return, it gives me pause. I seem to have everything set on schedule, but am I ready if Jesus returns today?
All of us have our timepieces and ways to track time. Our society depends on time in everything from commerce, to agriculture, to our daily routines. We become use to our busy schedules and even depend on them. We forget that our measurement of time is a human invention. We all heard before that our time is not God’s time. God does not rely on Apple, Bill Gates, or the National Institute of Standards and Technology to let him know when to return and bring about the new Heaven and new Earth! He transcends space and time.
Scripture reminds us to ask ourselves, what are we doing with our time? Are we ready? What have we done to respond to the Lord’s mission he has given us? Will he find that we are busy bringing his justice, love, mercy, his kingdom on Earth? Or, will he find us immersed in worldly distractions?
This message comes on the heels of the season of Advent. A time of preparation, repentance, and prayer. This preparation is not waiting for the ships off the coast of California packed with containers of merchandise to dock, but for the second coming of Jesus. This is the promise and hope Jesus has given us. It is easy to become distracted with keeping time back and forth to games, sports practices, jobs, and vacations. Planning for future endeavors is not a bad thing and even necessary, but we can be in danger of living for that moment instead of being present in the now. This leads to anxieties and worries distracting us. Our God wants us to be mindful that we are on mission passed on from the apostles. We are created to strive to be holy like our Father is holy. This is not our only time. As we approach the Advent season let us pause a bit. Take off your Fitbits or Apple watches, silence Alexa and your other time clocks and reflect in a quiet place. Bask in the joy of Jesus’ promise that he will return to gather us with him in heaven. He is making a dwelling place for us where there is no more pain or death. Ask yourself, if Jesus knocked on my door today, would I hear him say well done good and faithful servant?
