Kronos or Kairos

The ancient Greeks had two ways of thinking about time — “chronos” and “kairos.” “Chronos” is the time we can measure with clocks and calendars, like how long it takes for the sun to rise and set. But there’s also “kairos,” a different kind of time that’s not about counting minutes but about special moments that make us stop and feel something deep inside.

Richard Rohr, a writer, paints kairos as those breathtaking moments when the world stands still, and clarity floods in. We’ve all tasted such moments, rare and precious, like nectar to the soul, sustaining us through the ebb and flow of days.

In kairos, chronos fades into insignificance. We enter a state of flow, where time slips away, leaving us. in a zone where everything feels perfect.

How do we gather more of these special moments? We understand they can’t last forever, but how do we fill ourselves, not just our schedules, with kairos moments? How do we live not just by the clock?

Are these eye-opening moments more within reach when we step out of our comfort zones? Or perhaps it’s when we step out of our comfort zones, when time seems less important, that we’re more likely to follow our instincts, leading to more of those remarkable moments? I’m not entirely sure, but I’d guess that when I ditch my watch, put my phone on airplane mode, and ignore my schedule, I become more receptive to them. Maybe it’s because we’re more in tune with our surroundings, with nature, and with the people around us? Or maybe it’s something we each have to discover for ourselves.

What would happen if you lived kairologically for a week instead of by the clock?