We are certainly right to think of God in light of eternity. However, the temptation can be to think of eternity as sometime or someplace in the future. That’s why it’s so compelling that our Eternal God identifies Godself as “I AM” (Ex 3:14), not “I was” or “I will be.” In taking this Name, God reveals the intertwining of Eternity with the Present Moment. The flashy God of grand and unmistakable miracles certainly exists, but is a rarity. More often, God discloses the Divine and Eternal Mystery in subtle and ordinary ways, moment by moment, in our day-to-day lives.

One of the great paradoxes of contemplative prayer is that it connects us to Eternity precisely by focusing our attention on God here and now. As we engage in contemplative practice, we realize that the eternal communion with God that we seek doesn’t reside in some far-off place. It’s unfolding right now, right before our eyes. Eternity is evolving slowly, under God’s endlessly patient and forbearing eye. As we practice detaching from thoughts of what happened in the past or what may happen in the future, we acquire the patience and perception to recognize Alpha and Omega in this moment. Then, we find Eternity has already begun!