The Beginning of Time

 

 

If everything had a beginning

As most of us will agree,

Then time also had a beginning-

That we should also see.

 

But how did time begin?

It must have been suddenly,

Emerging out of somewhere

Perhaps, eternity.

 

Eternity is a phenomenon

We do not readily understand,

We have no reference point

For the concept it demands.

 

Learning begins at the intuitive:

What we know we know,

And from that body of schema

Other concepts grow.

 

Time, however, is different

We do have a concept of time,

It is calibrated in days and weeks

And measures of this kind.

 

There must have been a time

When time had not begun,

Oops! Right here lies my human slip

But better cannot be done.

 

A conundrum some would say:

A brain-teaser or a riddle,

A difficult problem at the very least

That’s currently unsolvable.

Except of course, there’s one

That knows the answer to all,

A time when time had not begun

Therefore, must lead to God.

 

“In the beginning, God…”

It must inevitably begin with Him,

The only credible account

Of history from its origin.

 

History is a synonym for time:

Time already unfolded

But in the eyes of Almighty God,

Time is differently coded.

 

No past and present and future

As far as God is concerned,

For Him who resides in eternity

There is nothing else to learn.

 

Time is our best reference

For an understanding of eternity

But even this falls erringly short

Given out finite capacity.

 

Evolutionists enunciate an origin

For everything under the sun

But concerning the beginning of time,

They have absolutely none.

 

A projection of billions of years

Is the best that evolutionists can do

But concerning the origin of time

I am yet to hear a view.

Here is one for their consideration:

“In the beginning, God…”

There is no before or after Him,

God is the all in all.

 

It is God that created time

And just enough for His divine plan:

To have a people for Himself

Along with the angelic clan.

 

This time that had a beginning

Will also have an end,

But that, my appreciated reader,

Is for another poem.

 

Stewart Russell © September 8, 2020

 

 

He Said

He said he loved me

I asked him how much,

“More than anything,” he said,

That is how much.

He said he loved me

I asked him how much,

“More than the world,” he said,

That is how much.

He said he loved me

I asked him how much,

“More than everything,” he said,

That is how much.

He said he loved me

I asked him how much,

“More than the heavens,” he said,

That is how much.

He said he loved me

I asked him how much,

“More than anyone has ever loved,”

That is how much

That was quite convincing

But I needed something more

So I switched my enquiry

I wanted to be sure.

He said he loved me

I said to him to show it,

“I gave my ultimate,” he said to me,

He’ll tell you of his visit.

He said he loved me

I said to him to show it,

“I came from a celestial city,” he said,

“For you” was my mandate.

I left it all behind

Because I thought of your need,

I left it because I love you

It’s that love that made me bleed.

He said he loved me

I said to him to prove it,

He showed to me his hands and feet

Then I started to get it.

Then he showed his riven side

And without a doubt I knew

Not only does he love me

But I know he loves you too.

He said he loves me

I no longer demand the proof

For when I look in his eyes

I know he is the Truth.

He said he loves me

He gave his all for me,

He died the death of a criminal

For me on Calvary’s tree.

He said he loved me

Though I had committed the crime,

It was my sin that nailed him there

Before the beginning of time.

He said he loves me

Though unlovable I truly am

And even before the dawn of time

He had decided on a plan.

That plan was put into action

And completed by His son

So that I could have eternal life

And be an heir of his kingdom.

“Now that you know,” he asked

“How much do you love me?”

That’s a lifetime commitment I said

With which I struggle daily.

He said he loves me

And one day he will return,

Meanwhile I have his Holy Spirit

And he daily affirms.

Stewart Russell © June 2018

The Longest Marathon Ever

Sometime after the beginning of time

Oh, sure, time had a beginning,

And as sure as there is a God

Time will be sure to have an ending.

But enough of that for now

I am here to tell you about a race,

Not about a sport or a people in time

But a metaphor we can easily trace.

On your mark, set, and they were off…

Just two in this race were involved,

This race is even greater today

As all of life around these two revolves.

Two competitors in a metaphorical race

On their mark at the beginning of time:

One fighting for supremacy at all cost

In a bid to contaminate the human mind

Everything was set and they were off

One of them forging to the front,

While the other was established from eternity

The other had more fans at the last count.

This is not a hundred metres sprint

But it is more like a marathon,

It is the longest marathon there ever was

Long before the Olympics had begun.

You’ve been patient up to this point

While wondering who the competitors are,

If by now you have guessed them both

Then you are a natural star.

           

Yes “Truth” and “Lies” are in this race

They were at it from the beginning of time,

“Truth” is synonymous with the Word of God

And “Lies” is the Devil aka Satan the Fraud.

One has a particularly large fan club

These are fans with very itching ears:

They stand on the side and shout the more

Whenever “Truth” appears to draw near.

It appears right now that “Lies” is ahead

Certainly he possesses the majority

But while the duration of this race is time

“Truth” is in it for eternity.

It appears they are rounding the bend

And presently heading for the straight,

Time’s clock is striking the hour

And for the majority it might be too late.

“Lies” is in the lane that is broad and crowded

“Truth” is holding the straight and narrow

“Lies” has a lot of room to negotiate

But “Truth” has a standard to follow.

“Truth” takes the lane to and from the cross

But “Lies” sees this lane as pure folly,

Easy street lane is his eager pursuit

In which he can run footloose and freely.

While “Lies” appears to be the winner now

The race result has not yet been declared

There have been many and blatant infractions

So “Truth” has nothing at all to fear.

“Lies” is destined to lose by default

Since he has never run the straight lane

And while there are times he runs like truth

Do understand deception is his game.

Run with “Truth” and you run with a winner

Run with “Lies” and you will lose,

The beautiful thing in this race my friend

Is that you get to run in the lane you choose.

Stewart Russell © October 2018