We have heard the command many times in ‘Star Trek’ for the Enterprise space craft to go as fast as it can to observe where no man has gone before, or to catch somebody that can almost go that velocity in outer space. The speed of light is a measurement as is a cut of precision in a 2 x 4. Measurements great and small are the concept of our minds. We measure everything we live with: “what time will you be here?” “How many of those do you need?” “How long will this trip take? ( one minute driving, an hour walking as does my phone map app says) Incidentally, electricity and radio waves travel at the same velocity, speed of light. Why?

Why do we then measure, or attempt to measure the distance of stars? Because we want to put them all in our concept of time. Absurd lengths as the speed of light and that star is only four light years away! It’s the closest one to us, let’s get going and see what is around it, at 36 thousand miles per hour it will only take 78 thousand years! There is research on a warp drive which is much akin to surfing (Gator did surfing for the better part of a year at Hermosa Beach in California) You just ride the wave in an Alcuberre space craft which would only take 20 years! Of course, the space craft is a gram sized wafer. Theoretically of course. Kind of smallish.

We do not understand infinity because we live and think in time. As Novatian stated in the third century (200 to 263 A.D.), “All our thoughts, will be less than He, all our loftiest utterances will betrivialities in comparison to Him” Of course, being locked into time ourselves, we cannot really understand eternity (unless you are Stephen Hawking who is now dead, eternally) We try when it is a convenient time in our comfy chairs or even listening to a sermon about the infinite God. We misuse that word infinite as it is convenient to bring eternity into our reasoning. “It took him infinite pains to paint that!” or “She had unlimited patience with her class” Really? Or as A.W. Tozer puts it, “ We say unlimited wealth or boundless energy” which for us is absurd and only applies to an infinite being.

Gator asked a question as he was flying over the East Coast, close to D.C. It was a clear night and Gator figured each light represented perhaps two people.Gator mused to his Lord. ‘How can you count every hair on us?’ “Easy He said, it’s a finite number”. Oh of course silly Gator. Enlightening and a very quick response to a fairly decent request, it seemed.

Why do we do this with our words and thoughts? It’s a toss out in speech or writing to trivialize something we cannot understand. Whether we admit or not, everyone contemplates eternity and even the atheist states that they will be eternally dead as though eternity was a really long period of time.

One of Gator’s favorite songs is “Strong Love” and it has the lyrics to describe God as Neither height, nor depth nor length or width can separate us from His strong love” Rightly said. Closely sung and experienced, we are singing about four dimensions which, of course, include eternity. It’s fun to think about our eternal God while eating breakfast and reading one of Gators favorite books of Dr. Tozer. At some point (another measurement) Gator reaches for his coffee and takes a sip and contemplates the day’s schedule.

Much akin to a 20 amp circuit breaker in the gray box, his mind goes to a familiar place and things inside that box. A safer place. A place that has measurement in hours and days and even split seconds as hearing the micro-wave beep finish the now warmed fore mentioned cup of coffee. A place that the circuit breaker is allowed to safely trip and allow some ‘time’ to redirect concentration.

So have fun with the Eternal Revenue Service that only asks for everything you are, everything you have and everything you think and believe. In turn, if you are truthful on your return form and are genuine in your giving everything, then He will give you love and joy and eternal life. It’s pretty good. Jack Gator