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I spend a lot of time thinking about time. It has always fascinated me. This thing that is here one moment, and then, wait, but there is no waiting and, puff! It is gone, replaced by yet another moment of time. That's how time appears to me, as chunks of moment's moments that together make up my existence. To explain time is like trying to explain God. It is interesting and an excellent mental exercise, but ultimately leaves you feeling impotent.

I remember asking my grandfather when I was a child if he felt time sped up the older he got.

"Absolutely! When I was young boy, summer lasted at least four or five months, now it only lasts one or two," he replied.

Not the best answer, but I got his drift. Now, as I grow older also, "time" does indeed, seem to have sped up. It is a phenomenon, of course. I don't actually believe time to be going faster. But it does "seem" to be going faster. This is more of a psychological question, than a scientific question. Though, it may make for an interesting study.

Eternity is the absence of time. This is my belief, my opinion. It can never be anything more than a belief, since it is impossible to experience eternity without existing in it. I am very big on truth. I absolutely believe in absolute truth, and I am absolutely sure of the truth of that. That is a lot of absolutes. I just like to be clear about when truth is being presented and when what is being presented is opinion or belief. Having said that...

I find it interesting that Einstein hypothesized that at the speed of light...time would stand still. Science appears to bear him out on that. If eternity is the absence of time, and if at the speed of light time stands still, is eternity existence at the speed of light?

Does that sound crazy? Consider this, everything is made up of molecules. Our physical bodies are made up of molecules. There is nothing that is, that is not made up of molecules. The crazy thing about these molecules is that they are not stationary. They are actually moving around...they are vibrating. You would not be wrong in saying that there is nothing that is truly solid. What would happen, I wonder, if those molecules were to vibrate at the speed of light? I know...we would cook...very quickly. Obviously something would have to change for us to exist as molecules vibrating at the speed of light. I have no answer to this in the natural, physical world. But when speaking of eternity we are not speaking of the natural, physical world, are we?

Perhaps what I am describing is what Christians speak of as a spiritual body. Perhaps spiritual bodies are capable of existing as molecules vibrating at the speed of light. This would seem to make them perfect for existing in eternity.

Does that sound crazy? Consider this, the Bible describes God as being light. Remember, at the speed of light, time stands still. And that eternity is the absence of time. If God "is" light, He would not be just eternal, He would actually be Eternity.

Sounds interesting, but then again, I am probably just crazy.

Learn more about this author, Dr. Stephen D..
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