Pastor's Pen: Time Travel

If you could travel through time, where and when would you go?

This is one of those questions families might ponder on a multi-state car trip when the batteries for all those electronic devices are low. The question has been the source of some great stories by authors as diverse as H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, and even Charles Dickens. Movies like Back to the Future, Avengers: Engame, or even Groundhog Day are great popcorn fare.

The idea of zipping away in a time machine presents exciting possibilities. For some, time travel might simply be a source of nostalgia, reliving good memories. Others want a chance to fix past mistakes, right injustices, or explore alternative possibilities. Traveling in time might allow someone to interact with figures from the past like Abraham Lincoln or your great-grandmother. A few may want to escape our everyday cares and jump into some utopian future.

In a sense, however, the premise is wrong. The question is not conditional. There is no “if.” All of us are time travelers. We are traveling forward in time one second, one hour, and one day at a time. Time is a precious commodity, and we can’t hoard it. No matter what we try, we cannot stop its relentless march. Instead of saving time, we must learn to use it wisely. We invest time in our relationships with God, with our families, and with our friends. We spend time with the people that God calls us to love--children, the poor, and the infirm. We redeem the time, making the most of every opportunity. The time we have should be met with courage. As Mordecai told his cousin Esther, "Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)

Since you are traveling through time, where and when will you go?