Hark! What light through yonder window breaks? ‘Tis but the dawn of seeming day, yet what is this thing called Time that mortals so fear and revere? Time, thou art but a fleeting shadow, a construct built by minds asleep, much ado about nothing. For, as the Course doth teach, “The only wholly true thought one can hold about the past is that it is not here” (T-13.I.3:1). The past is but a dream, the future a fantasy, and the Now—ah! The Now is the dwelling place of truth.
Time is a tapestry woven by the ego’s hand, a veil to hide the face of God. ‘Tis a stage upon which we strut and fret, yet in truth, the play is but an illusion. As the Course doth whisper, “The past is gone, the future but imagined. These concerns are but defenses against present change” (W-308.1:4-5).
Verily, Master Shakespeare did write Much Ado About Nothing, and so it is with Time: much ado, many words, endless worries, yet all amounting to naught. We chase the phantom of hours and days, we mourn the past as though it were real, we fear the future as though it could bind us, yet in so doing, we but crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.
Nay! The Course bids us awaken, saying, “The present is the only time there is” (W-164.1:1). Here, in this holy instant, we are free. The Now is where miracles dwell, where love abides, and where the peace of God is found. Time is but a trick of perception, a false measure of a mind that dreams of separation. Yet the truth remains unchanged: Only the eternal Now is real.
Shall we, then, continue to be players upon this stage, reciting lines of sorrow and strife? Or shall we cast off the script of time and choose instead the quiet joy of the present? For the Course reminds us, “Time is a trick, a sleight of hand, a vast illusion in which figures come and go as if by magic” (W-158.4:1).
Awake, dear soul! Let not the ego’s clock rule thy day. The ticking of the hourglass is but an echo in a dream. Stand forth in the light of the Now, and know: “This holy instant is salvation come” (T-26.V.13:1). The past is gone, the future is naught, and in this eternal moment, you are as God created you—whole, free, and beloved.
Let us, therefore, make no more ado about time. Let us cease our striving and rest in the stillness where all things are made new. For in truth, Time is but much ado about nothing, and the Now is all there is.
If this message resonates with you, I invite you to share your thoughts or join our Facebook group, Awakening Minds: Reflections and Conversations Inspired by ACIM. It’s a space for reflective dialogue, free from judgment, where we support one another in living the Course. You can find us here: Awakening Minds Facebook Group.
Let’s walk this path together.