THE TIME OF Your LIFE
DECEMBER 31, 1996
JOHN M. BUCHANAN
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
SCRIPTURE: JOHN 1:1~9 EPHESIANS 3:3-10
SO TEACH US TO COUNT OUR DAYS THAT WE MAY GAIN
A WISE HEART. PSALM 90:12 (NRSV)

“TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN,”
SOMEONE SAID. IT DOES. IT ALSO SEEMS TO FLY
FASTER AND FASTER, THE MORE OF !T YOU EXPERIENCE.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THE LAW OF ACCELERATING TIME?
‘FHE LONGER YOU LIVE THE QUICKER IT PASSES. HAVE

YOU ALSO NOTICED HOW YOUNG THOSE PEOPLE HAVE

BECOME WHO PLAY THE GAMES THAT WERE ON

TELEVISION ALL DAY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND TODAY?
IF YOU HAVE BEEN A SPORTS FAN, OR THEATRE OR
HOLLYWOOD OR OPERA FOR THAT MATTER, OVER THE
YEARS | AM SURE YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. IT WASN’T SO
LONG AGO IT SEEMS THAT BASEBALL PLAYERS WERE
WIZENED, STOLID, MATURE MEN; THEN THEY WERE MY
PEERS; THEN JUST SLIGHTLY YOUNGER THAN I. MOST
OF US INTENTIONALLY STOP THE PROCESS RIGHT THERE
-THE ATHLETES ARE JUST A BIT YOUNGER. AND THEN
YOU’RE WATCHING ON TELEVISION AND ONE OF THEM
REMOVES A CAP OR HELMET AND YOU COME TO THE

DEVASTATING REALITY THAT THEY ARE THE AGE OF

YOUR CHILDREN, YOUNGER THAN YOUR CHILDREN, IN

FACT.

IN HiS YEAR-END NEWSLETTER, MARTIN MARTY
HAS SOME FUN WITH THE TOPIC. “HOW OLD DO YoU
FEEL?” HE ASKED, AND REFERRED TO W. H. AUDEN
WHO THOUGHT WE ALL HAVE WITHIN US AN AGE THAT
WE THINK OF OURSELVES AS BEING. (MARTY THINKS OF
HIMSELF AS 35.) HE QUOTES A DARTMOUTH
PSYCHIATRIST WHO RECENTLY WROTE ABOUT THE TOPIC:
“IN MY OWN AGING PROCESS | FIND IT ALMOST

HILARIOUS TO LOOK INTO THE MIRROR. LOOKING BACK

AT ME 1S A 50 YEAR-OLD MAN. LOOKING INTO THE

MIRROR IS A PERSON WHO FEELS 1 2.”

THE DOCTOR WAS INSPIRED BY CURRENT
NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH. “THE SUBCORTICAL
STRUCTURES OF OUR BRAIN, IN CHARGE OF FEELINGS,
CHANGE VERY LITTLE WITH AGING.” SO, IN FACT, WE
DO FEEL LIKE A MUCH YOUNGER PERSON. [MICHAEL S.

GAZZINIGA, IN CONTEXT, 12/15/92]

THE TROUBLE, OF COURSE, IS WE ARENOT. THE
MYSTERY OF IT, IS 7/ME, IT KEEPS MOVING. AND IF WE

DON’T KNOW THAT, OR iF WE INVEST ALL OF OUR

ENERGY DENYING IT, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME

FOOLISH MISTAKES. WE MAY ALSO MISS A LOT.

“TEACH US TO COUNT OUR DAYS THAT WE MAY
GAIN A WISE HEART” THE PSALMIST WROTE. KNOW
WHAT TIME IT 1S. KNOW WHAT TIME OF YOUR LIFE YOU
ARE CURRENTLY LIVING. BE AWARE — RECOGNIZE - BE
APPROPRIATE AND GRACEFUL ABOUT THE TIME OF YOUR

LIFE.

PSALM 90 WHICH WE READ TOGETHER AND
WHICH HAS BEEN BEAUTIFULLY PUT TO MUSIC IN THE

FAVORITE HYMN, “OUR GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST,

OUR HOPE FOR YEARS TO COME,” 1S AN ELEGANT AND
SOMEWHAT ENIGMATIC POEM. SCHOLARS OF OLD
TESTAMENT LITERATURE AND OF HEBREW THOUGHT PAY
A LOT OF ATTENTION TO IT. IT WAS THE FAVORITE OF
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO THEOLOGIAN, JOSEPH
SITTLER. HE ALMOST ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO REFER
TO IT AND QUOTE IT, NO MATTER WHAT HE WAS
TALKING ABOUT. HE LECTURED ON IT, USED IT INA
SERMON TEXT WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO PREACH AND
WHEN HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE BRIEF TEN—-WEEK
COURSE ON PRACTICAL MINISTRY — ALWAYS REQUIRED
STUDENTS TO PREPARE A SERMON ON PSALM 90. 1

STILL HAVE MINE. IT’S PRETTY EMBARRASSING

ACTUALLY. I’M NOT SURE ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND
WHAT THAT PSALM IS ABOUT UNTIL HE OR SHE HAS PUT

IN A LITTLE MORE TIME THAN 25 YEARS.

IN ANY EVENT, IT WAS FROM SITTLER THAT |
LEARNED THAT T
HE SPECIFIC CATEGORY OF PSALM INTO WHICH NUMBER
90 FALLS 1S CALLED A COMMUNAL LAMENT. IT IS, AT
HEART, A CORPORATE COMPLAINT TO GOD. AND THE
LIBERAL TRANSLATION OF THE COMPLAINT IS FAMILIAR:

“LIFE ISN’T FAIR!”

AFTER THE REQUISITE COMPLIMENTS TO THE

ALMIGHTY:

“YOU HAVE BEEN OUR DWELLING PLACE FOR
GENERATIONS.
YOU'VE BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN THE
MOUNTAINS
A THOUSAND YEARS ARE LIKE A FEW
MINUTES TO YOU ...”

THE PSALMIST GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS:
“YOU TURN US BACK TO DUST
WE'RE ABOUT AS SUBSTANTIAL AS DRY

" GRASS ...

COMPARED TO YOU, WE'RE AROUND ABOUT

AS LONG AS A DREAM.”

IT ISN’T FAIR!

SO, HELP US DO WHAT WE MUST DO. HELP US
NUMBER OUR DAYS SO WE MAY GAIN A WISE HEART.
THERE IS IN THE SCRIPTURES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
SOMETHING CALLED A “WISDOM TRADITION.” WISDOM
IS HIGHLY VALUED IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, FOR
INSTANCE; AND ECCLESIASTES AND IN MANY OF THE
PSALMS. A WISE PERSON IS ONE WHO IS APPROPRIATE,

GRACEFUL ~ NOT PARTICULARLY ONE WHO HAS A LOT

OF KNOWLEDGE OR SKILL; THAT WOULD BE THE MODERN
WESTERN DEFINITION OF WISDOM. THE WISE PERSON IN
THIS TRADITION IS ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT TIME IT IS,
WHO LIVES CREATIVELY AND RESPONSIVELY AND

APPROPRIATELY IN THE TIME OF HIS OR HER LIFE.

THE OPPOSITE, THE FOOLISH PERSON, IS ONE WHO
DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TIME IT 1S. A FOOL, IN
BIBLICAL TERMS, 1S A PERSON WHO DENIES THE
MOVEMENT OF TIME, WHO IGNORES AGING, FOR
INSTANCE, WHO CLINGS DESPERATELY TO THE PAST, OR
WHO LONGINGLY WAITS FOR THE FUTURE AND IN THE

PROCESS 1S ALIENATED FROM THE PRESENT.

10

IT STRUCK ME THAT THAT IS A GOOD ANALYSIS OF
THE PERENNIAL HUMAN DILEMMA: CAUGHT, ON THE
ONE HAND, BETWEEN DESPERATELY CLINGING TO THE
PAST, AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WAITING FOR REAL
LIFE TO COME IN THE FUTURE, AND IN THE MEANTIME

FORGETTING TO LIVE FULLY IN THE PRESENT.

IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT PSALM 90, WHICH
iS LISTED AS A PRAYER OF MOSES, WAS MOSES’ PRAYER
AS HE CAME TO THE JORDAN RIVER, LATE IN HIS LIFE,
LOOKED ACROSS AND SAW THE PROMISED LAND, WHICH

HE HAD BEEN PURSUING FOR MOST OF HiS ADULT LIFE,

11

AND REALIZED HE WASN’T GOING TO MAKE IT. HE
PERSONALLY WAS NOT GOING TO CROSS THE RIVER AND
ENTER THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY; HE COULD ONLY

SEE IT FROM AFAR.

AND | WONDERED IF JESUS, TOO, WHEN AT THE
AGE OF 33, HE FELT THE WALLS CLOSING IN AND HAD
TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT THE PRESENT
WAS ALL HE HAD. | WONDERED IF HE DIDN’T THINK

ABOUT AND PRAY MOSES’ PRAYER:

“LET THE FAVOR OF GOD BE UPON ME

12

PROSPER FOR ME — THE WORK OF MY HANDS.”

HOW PERTINENT THIS ANCIENT POEM IS IN
HELPING US COME TO A SENSE OF THE TIME OF OUR
LIVES. THE OLD ISSUES REMAIN NEARLY THE SAME.
LIFE IS SHORT; IT ISN’T FAIR. SO WE NEED TO KNOW
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT NOW, TO DO WHATEVER IS

NECESSARY TO BE WISE AND TO PROSPER THE WORK OF

OUR HANDS.

ERIK ERIKSON, A PIONEER IN HUMAN

DEVELOPMENT THEORY, TAUGHT THAT ONE WAY TO DO

THAT WAS TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, OR

13

AGING, IN TERMS OF EIGHT STAGES — EACH WITH A
PARTICULAR ISSUE TO RESOLVE, FROM INFANCY

THROUGH OLD AGE.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A TIME TO LEARN FOR
INSTANCE. EMERSON SAID SOMEWHERE THAT AN IDEA
CAN BE GRASPED ONLY WHEN THE MIND IS RIPE FOR
THAT IDEA. THAT’S A GOOD CONCEPT TO REMEMBER
WHEN YOU WANT A 7 YEAR~OLD TO APPRECIATE A
BEAUTIFUL SCENE IN NATURE, FOR INSTANCE; OR WHEN
YOU ARE ASSUMING YOUR 13 YEAR-OLD WILL
APPRECIATE THE HISTORY OF LONDON IN THE MIDDLE

AGES. LEWIS THOMAS WRITES DELIGHTFULLY ABOUT

14

THE DIFFICULTY ADULTS HAVE LEARNING LANGUAGES
AND HOW ABSOLUTELY SIMPLE IT IS FOR CHILDREN. WE
HAVE A GENE FOR LEARNING LANGUAGES IN
CHILDHOOD, THOMAS CONCLUDES, AND IT WEAKENS
AND GRADUALLY DISAPPEARS. IF THAT IS TRUE — AND
NO ONE ARGUES THAT IT ISN’T — WISDOM AND SIMPLE
PRUDENCE DICTATES PAYING ATTENTION TO
EDUCATION, THE EARLIER THE BETTER: USING JUSTA
PORTION OF THE COST OF HOLDING PRISONERS IN OUR
CROWDED JAILS — TO FULLY FUND OPERATION
HEADSTART — WHICH INCREDIBLY WE STILL HAVE NOT

DONE.

15

ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES FOR ADULTS,

ERICKSON TAUGHT, IS GENERATIVITY OR STAGNATION.

FOR MANY YOUNG AND MIDDLE ADULTS, HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT STOPS. ERIKSON PUT IS MEMORABLY:
“THE UNHEALTHY NARCISSISM OF MIDDLE AGE CAN
TURN ONE INTO ONE’S OWN FAVORITE CHILD,
PAMPERED, CODDLED, SPOILED.” THE RESULT -

STAGNATION, BOREDOM, STALENESS.

PARKER PALMER CALLS BOREDOM THE MAJOR

SPIRITUAL PROBLEM OF OUR AGE. AND JOHN GARDNER,

16

ADDRESSING THE GRADUATING CLASS AT STANFORD
LAST YEAR, WONDERED OUT LOUD ABOUT WHY SOME
MEN AND WOMEN GO TO SEED WHILE OTHERS REMAIN
VITAL ALL OF THEIR LIVES - WHY SOME PEOPLE STOP
LEARNING OR GROWING OR TRYING? YOU CAN KEEP THE
ZEST UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE, HE SAID, AND OFFERED A
SIMPLE MAXIM: “BE INTERESTED . . .KEEP YOUR
CURIOSITY, YOUR SENSE OF WONDER; DISCOVER NEW

THINGS; CARE — RISK — REACH OUT.”

SO ON THIS FIRST SUNDAY OF THE NEW YEAR,

THE OCCASION WHEN WE DO A LITTLE LOOKING

BACKWARD AND FORWARD, AND ENGAGE IN ANNUAL

17

STOCK-TAKING AND PRIORITY-SETTING CALLED NEW
YEAR RESOLUTIONS, WHAT MIGHT WE LEARN FROM THE
WISDOM TRADITION OF THE BIBLE AND THE INSIGHTS OF

MODERN PSYCHOLOGY?

LET ME MAKE FOUR SUGGESTIONS.

FIRST, AND BASIC TO ALL THE REST: LIVING IN
THE PRESENT AND ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
TIME GIVEN TO US. WHATEVER TIME OF LIFE IT {S FOR
YOU ~ IT’S YOURS. IT’S YOUR ONLY LIFE. AND THERE
IS ONLY ONE PERSON WHO CAN LIVE IT. SOUNDS

SIMPLE, BUT WE ARE INCLINED TO ACT AS IF WE ARE

18

VICTIMS OF FATE, OR TIME, INSTEAD OF RESPONSIBLE
ADULTS IN CHARGE OF OUR OWN LIVES. | ATTENDED AN
UNUSUAL MEETING OF 500 PRESBYTERIANS RECENTLY
WHO WERE ASKED TO COME UP WITH A VISION FOR THE
CHURCH’S FUTURE. THE TECHNIQUE WAS FASCINATING:
ANYONE WHO HAD AN ISSUE WAS INVITED TO EXPRESS IT
AND THEN LEAD A GROUP OF OTHER INTERESTED PEOPLE
IN DISCUSSING IT. THE LEADER/ENABLER, HARRISON
OWEN, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE
FRUSTRATED OR DISAPPOINTED IN THE DIRECTION THE

DISCUSSION WENT.

19

“REMEMBER THE LAW OF TWO FEET,”
HE SAID. “IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT WHERE
YOU ARE, MOVE. DON’T COMPLAIN,
WORSE YET, DON’T SIT THERE GETTING

ANGRY. MOVE YOUR FEET.”

NOT A BAD MAXIM FOR LIFE, | THOUGHT. IF YOU
DON’T LIKE WHERE YOU ARE, MOVE. AND IF YOU
CANNOT MOVE, THEN DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO
CHANGE WHATEVER IS MAKING YOU UNHAPPY. THE
HEART OF WISDOM 1S KNOWING WHAT TIME IT IS, AND
KNOWING AS WELL THAT THE TIME WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT BELONGS TO US, IS GIVEN TO US TO LIVE AND

20

USE AND ENJOY ... AND THAT NO ONE ELSE IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS USE.

SECOND, WISDOM 1S KNOWING THAT THERE ARE
LIMITS. THERE ARE PERSONAL LIMITS AND THERE IS A
LIMIT TO THE TIME WE ARE GIVEN. THAT TOO SEEMS
SIMPLE ENOUGH AND YET WE HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE

WITH BOTH ENDS OF THAT EQUATION,

LEWIS THOMAS CHARACTERIZES OUR NATION,
COMPARED TO THE OLDER COUNTRIES OF EUROPE, AS A
YOUNG ADULT, NO LONGER A TENTATIVE ADOLESCENT,

BUT NOT HAVING YET LEARNED THAT ADULT LESSON OF

21

LIMITS. YOUNG ADULTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT LIMITS.
AFRAID OF NOTHING, THEY ARE WILLING TO TRY
ANYTHING FROM SKY DIVING TO BUNGEE JUMPING,
INCLINED TO EXCESS IN ALL THINGS, SUPREMELY
CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO DO EVERYTHING. THE
SYNDROME CAN BE EXCITING AND CHALLENGING IN A
YOUNG ADULT AND BECOMES TRAGIC AND PATHETIC

LATER.

“HOW CAN | FIX IT?” SOMEONE ASKED ME
RECENTLY AS WE TALKED ABOUT A PROBLEM SITUATION
IN WHICH HIS SON WAS INVOLVED. “MAYBE YOU

CAN'T,” | HAD TO SAY, REALIZING THAT THOSE ARE

22

DIFFICULT WORDS FOR UPWARDLY MOBILE, SUCCESSFUL

ADULTS TO SAY.

THE REALITY OF LIMITS IS AN AWKWARD FACT FOR
WESTERN TECHNOLOGICAL CULTURE, JOE SITTLER USED
TO SAY. DEATH ~ THE ULTIMATE LIMIT — IS SOMETHING
OF AN EMBARRASSMENT TO A CULTURE THAT UTTERLY
BELIEVES THAT INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH AND ENOUGH

MONEY WILL SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM.

WISDOM IN THE BIBLE INVOLVES NUMBERING YOUR

DAYS AND SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE ARE

SOME THINGS YOU CAN’T DO, OR CONTROL, AND THAT

23

THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE TIME YOU HAVE. YOU WILL

NOT LIVE FOREVER.

AND SO THE THIRD SUGGESTION IS THIS: DON’T
PUT OFF THE IMPORTANT STUFF. IT MAY NOT BE HERE

YET BUT THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN IT IS TOO LATE.

| HAVE KEPT A CLIPPING FROM ANOTHER OF
MARTIN MARTY’S YEAR-END NEWSLETTERS FROM
SEVERAL YEARS AGO. HE EXPLAINED THAT ON HIS
STUDY WALL, TO BE READ DAILY, IS A MOTTO GIVEN TO

HIM BY A MENTOR AND FORMER BISHOP:

24

“LIFE IS SHORT AND WE HAVE NOT MUCH
TIME FOR GLADDENING THE HEARTS OF
THOSE WHO TRAVEL THE WAY WITH US.
OH, BE SWIFT TO LOVE, MAKE HASTE TO BE

KIND.”

KNOWING WHAT THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE 1S MEANS
SORTING THROUGH ALL THE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES,
DECIDING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND STARTING TO
DO IT. AND, MAY | SUGGEST, AMONG THOSE THINGS,
MOST IMPORTANT AMONG THEM ARE TELLING THOSE

YOU LOVE THAT YOU LOVE THEM.

25

“OH, BE SWIFT TO LOVE... “

DON’T SAVE IT. DON’T HOARD LOVE IN YOUR
HEART. YOU KNOW WHO THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD ARE TO YOU. YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT
HAS BEEN SINCE YOU TOLD THEM. AND MAYBE YOU ARE
ONE OF THOSE EXTRAORDINARY FOLK WHO HAVE NEVER
VERBALIZED THIS LOVE. SO, JUST DO IT. GIVE THEM A
SQUEEZE AND TELL THEM. CALL THEM TODAY. SAY IT
— “] LOVE YOU. YOU MAY FORGET IT AT TIMES: AT

TIMES IT MAY SEEM LIKE | DON’T BUT | REALLY DO; I

26

LOVE YOU.” IT’S REALLY EASY AND QUITE NICE,

ACTUALLY.

AND THAT LEADS TO SUGGESTION NUMBER FOUR.

ERIK ERICKSON SAID THAT THE ADULT WHO
NEGOTIATES ALL THE TRICKY PASSAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT WILL, IN MATURITY, HAVE BECOME

GENERATIVE.

“TO HAVE FOUND A WAY, BY MIDLIFE AND

BEYOND, IN OUR LOVE AND WORK, TO

CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE

27

HUMAN SOUL, AND TO EXTEND THE
CONDITIONS IN SOCIAL LIFE THAT WILL
MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION TO HAVE OPTIMAL
OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR FULL
MEASURE OF HUMAN STRENGTH.” [JAMES
FOWLER, BECOMING ADULT, BECOMING

CHRISTIAN, P. 29]

SO BE GENERATIVE. GENERATE LIFE AND HEALING
AND COMPASSION. BE A FACTOR IN THE FUTURE. GIVE
YOURSELF YOUR TIME, YOUR MONEY, YOUR IDEAS AND

LEADERSHIP. YOU WON’T TAKE ANYTHING WITH YOU,

28

SO FIND WHAT YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT AND GIVE

YOURSELF TO IT.

YOU KNOW THAT I LIKE A LOT OF WHAT
FREDERICK BUECHNER SAYS AND WRITES. THIS, |
THINK, 1S MY FAVORITE, IT’S FROM A BOOK CALLED
ALPHABET OF GRACE, AND IT FOLLOWS THE CLOCK

THROUGH ONE DAY IN THE AUTHOR’S LIFE:

“YOU ARE ALIVE. IT NEEDN’T HAVE BEEN
SO. IT WASN’T SO ONCE, AND IT WILL NOT
BE SO FOREVER. BUT IT ISSO NOW. AND

WHAT IS IT LIKE: TO BE ALIVE IN THIS

29

MAYBE ONE PLACE OF ALL PLACES

ANYWHERE WHERE LIFE IS? LIVE A DAY OF

IT AND SEE. TAKE ANY DAY AND BE ALIVE

IN IT. NOBODY CLAIMS THAT IT WILL BE

ENTIRELY PAINLESS, BUT NO MATTER.” [P.

36]

THERE IS BENEATH THIS ENTIRE MATTER OF
TIMELINESS A BIG ISSUE. IT IS NAMED IN PSALM 90’S
LAMENT. ARE WE REALLY LIKE THE GRASS THAT FADES
AND WITHERS? [IS THERE NO MORE SUBSTANCE TO US
THAN A DREAM THAT DISAPPEARS IN THE MORNING? IS

THERE ANYTHING MORE TO US THAN THE PAGES OF

30

ACCUMULATED CALENDARS, OR THE TICKING OF THE

CLOCK?

WE CHRISTIANS HAVE RECENTLY CELEBRATED THE
BIRTH OF A CHILD. WHAT THAT EVENT MEANS TO US IS
NEVER QUITE ADEQUATELY EXPRESSED IN ALL THE
FESTIVITY, ALL THE LOVELY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATING.
BECAUSE FINALLY WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CHILD’S BIRTH
MEANS THAT THE POWER OF TIME, WHICH MEANS THE
POWER OF OUR OWN MORTALITY, HAS BEEN BROKEN.
OUR LIFE, WE BELIEVE, OUR TIME, IS NOT MERELY A
RUNNING DOWN, TIME DIMINISHING, THE SAND RUNNING

OUT OF THE GLASS AND FINALLY DISAPPEARING. WHAT

31

WE BELIEVE IS THE OPPOSITE: THAT BECAUSE OF THIS

CHILD OUR LIVES ARE A PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND
FULFILLMENT AND.COMPLETION; AND DIFFICULT AS IT IS
TO EXPRESS, EVEN SOMETIMES TO BELIEVE, THAT IN THIS

CHILD OUR LIVES HAVE ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE.

“OUR DWELLING PLACE IN ALL

GENERATIONS...”

PROFESSOR SITTLER WROTE:
“HE — AND HE MEANT JESUS THE
CHRIST — HE 1S THE ROAD AND HE IS THE

GOAL. HE BECAME THE TRAVELER. HE IS

32

WHERE | BEGAN, HE IS MY JOURNEY, AND

MY HOME AT THE LAST.”

SO, DO KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS AND DO LIVE IT
FULLY AND PASSIONATELY, AND DO HAVE THE TIME OF
YOUR LIFE BECAUSE IN THE BIRTH OF THE CHILD, THE
ANCIENT LAMENT IS ANSWERED AND THE PROMISE IS

KEPT.

“Our GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST,

OUR HOPE FOR YEARS TO COME,

OUR SHELTER FROM THE STORMY BLAST,

33

AND OUR ETERNAL HOME.”

AMEN.

34