At the center of the movie “Dr. Strange” is the notion of
time, eternity, and manipulation of both. The hero, at the crux of it all,
opens his saga with dozens of watches to choose from to adorn his wrist. He ends
the film with one broken watch, complete an inscription of forever love,
adorning his wrist. Is time broken or borrowed?
Unknowingly between the bookends, Dr. Stephen Strange, is on
a journey – which leads him into his destiny. This includes adorning something
called the Time Stone (woven into a much larger story as time goes on). This,
along with training and knowledge, allows him to manipulate and control time. The
Antagonist, is eternity itself – a realm beyond time – that seeks to devour
anything and anyone into the vastness of eternal nothingness.
One sees time as the enemy – bringing only death – and welcomes
the realm beyond time to humanity. While individual time does end in death,
lack of time all together snuffs out living. Being deceived by selfish desires
of “eternity without time” as a Saviour, the antagonist who looks to cheat
death ends up being consumed by eternal death. The other sees time as a gift – broken as it may be – to be
soaked in each moment of living. Time isn’t to be cheated or manipulated, time
is to be released into each life until time itself decides the demise and eternity
is ushered in as a friend.
The one thing we fight for and against is time. More
youthfulness, more relationships, more moments. This is a noble fight – as in
fighting disease and death as God grants us. (Always interesting to me, how
even the gravest of atheist will request prayer when a loved one is facing
death). But, while living in our everyday lives, how much we waste time – or cram
busyness into time – with our choices. We miss living. We miss time as a gift
until we finally see that time is coming to an end. Bucket lists, as it were.
Speaking of bookends, Scripture tells of our beginning of
time and beyond time (or as some call “end times” – but that term is debatable
as to the actual description of Revelation). Time didn’t begin at Creation –
mankind was originally created for eternity with Jehovah. Time began when an
angel with a flaming sword was placed at the gate of the eternal garden. Genesis 3:24 Not as a punishment, but as
a protection. If we were still in eternity in our fallen state, that’s how we would
remain – eternally fallen. The angel was grace – as a lived out our given times
– until we could re-enter eternity as originally designed – holy. Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book, begins with the same
words of Genesis. “You have forsaken your first Love.” Revelation 2:4. In essence, as Eternal God called out to the first
man in his hiding from Love: “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9
Revelation isn't about the end of time, it's about the revelation of Eternity. Along with time, eternity resides within us, as a great gift for those who choose to receive. By carrying eternity, death is not a threat and time can finally be a gift – lived out as we were intended to. Eternity isn’t a future; eternity is a present. Time isn’t an enemy, it’s a gift. Romans 6:23 All in between from our first breath to our last, is our time in relationship with Him (or not) and each other (or not). The glorious part is that we get to choose – not what’s done to us, but who we spend time with. Time is shorter than we know. Live well.
