Time, why you punish me?
Like a wave bashing into the shore
You wash away my dreams.
Time, why you walk away?
Like a friend with somewhere to go
You left me crying.
Can you teach me about tomorrow
And all the pain and sorrow
Running free?
'Cause tomorrow's just another day
And I don't believe in time.
In these significant lyrics, Hootie and the Blowfish sing about the frustration and mystery associated with time. Time marches on, and none of us can stop it. Just this afternoon, in fact, I was speaking with a friend about former times, reminiscing about things that we experienced together. Yet, as we conversed, it was obvious that the matters about which we spoke took place quite a few years ago. Time flies . . . whether or not we're having fun.
I'm not sure all that Hootie intended when these words were penned. My take on it, though, is that it is difficult to watch the years going by so rapidly, especially, I think, when we consider the good things we have encountered. In some ways, the blessings of life tend to slip away from us. Indeed, every year when we go on vacation the anticipation of vacation's end seems to hang over us. We love being together in a beautiful place (Cape May, NJ is our usual spot), yet we sense how quickly our vacation time goes.
This being said, my version of "I don't believe in time" is not simply a recognition that time gradually swallows the events of our lives. Likewise, it is not a philosophical statement about metaphysics. For me, it is a clear recognition that the good we experience truly isn't supposed to end. To say "I don't believe in time" is to state firmly that I don't believe in the end of those things that matter most. As a Christian, my hope is that this world will be absorbed into the next (How? I'm not exactly sure) and that the genuine treasures of our existence--the relationships, the love, the truth, the beauty, etc.--will indeed endure. To sing "I don't believe in time" is to remind myself that the things I love most will not be thwarted. Therefore, we are free to love, to ponder, to serve, to care . . . precisely because these things cannot, ultimately, be defeated by time. Indeed, it's because I believe in never-ending time (i.e., eternity) that "I don't believe in time." Thanks, Hootie, for the great song and the sad yet hopeful message it brings.
Like a wave bashing into the shore
You wash away my dreams.
Time, why you walk away?
Like a friend with somewhere to go
You left me crying.
Can you teach me about tomorrow
And all the pain and sorrow
Running free?
'Cause tomorrow's just another day
And I don't believe in time.
In these significant lyrics, Hootie and the Blowfish sing about the frustration and mystery associated with time. Time marches on, and none of us can stop it. Just this afternoon, in fact, I was speaking with a friend about former times, reminiscing about things that we experienced together. Yet, as we conversed, it was obvious that the matters about which we spoke took place quite a few years ago. Time flies . . . whether or not we're having fun.
I'm not sure all that Hootie intended when these words were penned. My take on it, though, is that it is difficult to watch the years going by so rapidly, especially, I think, when we consider the good things we have encountered. In some ways, the blessings of life tend to slip away from us. Indeed, every year when we go on vacation the anticipation of vacation's end seems to hang over us. We love being together in a beautiful place (Cape May, NJ is our usual spot), yet we sense how quickly our vacation time goes.
This being said, my version of "I don't believe in time" is not simply a recognition that time gradually swallows the events of our lives. Likewise, it is not a philosophical statement about metaphysics. For me, it is a clear recognition that the good we experience truly isn't supposed to end. To say "I don't believe in time" is to state firmly that I don't believe in the end of those things that matter most. As a Christian, my hope is that this world will be absorbed into the next (How? I'm not exactly sure) and that the genuine treasures of our existence--the relationships, the love, the truth, the beauty, etc.--will indeed endure. To sing "I don't believe in time" is to remind myself that the things I love most will not be thwarted. Therefore, we are free to love, to ponder, to serve, to care . . . precisely because these things cannot, ultimately, be defeated by time. Indeed, it's because I believe in never-ending time (i.e., eternity) that "I don't believe in time." Thanks, Hootie, for the great song and the sad yet hopeful message it brings.
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