Ephesians 5:15-20

Year B - Pentecost +12 or Energy to Witness ¹²

August 16, 2015

Ephesians 5:15-20

It is so easy to say, “Do what the will of the Lord is.” This open-ended statement leaves people wide-open to manipulation as principalities and powers all too easily define this “will” simplistically and to their own benefit.

This particular use of that construct follows immediately on the heels of an instruction to “make the most of the time available”. The reason for this is certainly not because, “the days are evil”. That dumbs things down. Evil in this case is pretty mundane—that which wants to hold on to yesterday as though it is also tomorrow and today. That’s not so much evil as short-sighted. Short-sightedness may, of course, have some devilish consequences but it is not intrinsically evil. We do need to bring the best of yesterday along, just not all of it.

Making the most of our time, regardless of how things are going, is a close approximation to some “will” of an urge to life. Time simply can’t be saved (have you read Momo by Michael Ende, yet?). Sleep may well be making the most of the time you have. Eating, attending to one another, sex, and travel may well be making the most of the time you have. Attending one more meeting, participating in a resistance movement, telling jokes may all be making the most of the time you have.

Time goes by so slowly (or quickly). Time simply goes by. So, for a moment of time, attend to your time. How are you doing? Well?

Well, if so, Hooray and Thank You.

Well, if not, it is not too late and thank you for beginning again.