EP 56: How to Inhabit Time with James K.A. Smith

Have you ever said things like: I'm running out of time? I wish I had more time. Where did the time go? For those who have seen their kids grow up too fast or have seen a loved one pass away too early, these are the human tensions of time. 

All these constructs and references of time remind us that we are temporal creatures, that live inside of time. Yet by faith, we know we are not bound or trapped by time. How should this reality affect how we live? 

Listen to the words of the Apostle James; "Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." 

James writes that life is fleeting, but it is lived in its most total sense when we live it wisely, humbly, and obediently. The start of 2023 is an appropriate "time" to investigate this deep topic and its implications. 

Our guest on this episode is Dr. James K.A. Smith (Jamie), a Canadian philosopher who is currently a Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, holding the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology & Worldview.  

Jamie helps us understand that if we realize that created things have this fleetingness about them, we can recalibrate our expectations about how to live with these temporal things in our lives. We can learn how to best steward and enjoy them while we can, knowing they will pass. 

We should embrace our mortality with discernment from the spirit of God as our guide in the context and accountability of our faith community. 

Resources:

• Book: https://amzn.to/3GFW6IM
• Website: https://jameskasmith.com  
• James K.A. Smith on Twitter

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