Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning

"Time, time, time, see what's become of me!" The image of time as a sports car racing swiftly away from the curb of our existence is a picture which those of us, in that joyous span of life known as "middle-age," can see with utter clarity. In today's society, we have an abundance of riches: possessions, unparalleled affluence, access to information and images, instantaneous communication and freedom of expression. And yet, for all of our multi-tasked nirvana, we are simple beggars as time slips through our fingertips. Gary Eberle conducts us on a delightful exploration of the concept of time - its evolution, its importance, its scarcity, and our obsession with filling every nook and cranny of the thing. Drawing on both personal reflection and academic considerations, the author examines our fixation with robotic productivity and offers thoughtful ways to effectively slow the pace of daily living to a level that is consistent with the internal rhythms of our being. One of my favorite sections is Chapter 4: Books of Hours, which examines the concept of prayer as an integral part of daily existence and in finding our internal tranquility. Rather than viewing Liturgical Prayer as a numbing restrictive regimen, Gary Eberle offers its liberating patterns as a tonic for temporal gastric distress. The book is well written and holds the reader's interest throughout the 200+ pages. It is well worth the time!