The Moment

People often say, "live in the moment." But I don't think they really take the time to think that through. It's not a bad idea really, but it is dangerous. Have you ever really tried to live in the moment?

First of all, what is a moment? How big is it? If I focus on it, like Augustine of Hippo, I can begin to feel how my expectations squeeze down smaller and smaller into this infinitely tiny point and immediately squeeze back out into memories. There actually is no moment to apprehend because as soon as I apprehend it, it is past. The closer I zoom in my scale, the smaller the point gets and the faster the future becomes the past. It's maddening really. If you have any skill at thought experiments, like Einstein, try it and see. But be careful not to get sucked in and lost. Of course Cartesian geometry teaches us that points have no mass, so why should time be any different.

Perhaps this is why the Buddhists teach that the mind should be cleared, that we should strive to live in that nothing that is something that is constantly becoming nothing again.

But even on a more human livable scale, living in the moment is dangerous and difficult. It precludes planning pretty much altogether. If I think about this moment. This time right now, I am relatively content. But I can't think out so far as an hour, because I'll be hungry. I suppose I could then go satisfy the hunger, but that might take some planning to have a good meal. I don't live in a fairy land where meals appear, or in an Eden where I can pluck my sustenance down at the nearest tree. Can we truly live this disconnected? I doubt it. I couldn't even thaw meat!

So some planning must be ok. Some foresight. But how much? Jesus says that we should think only of our needs of today...that could be a moment. And James the brother of Jesus says we should say, "if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." because beyond that is boasting.

I think the distinction is in how much we fret over things that have not happened. How much we assume that may not pass. We should always be aware of our mortality, our moment by moment dependence of factors beyond our control. We should live focused on what is at hand, but planning is wise, storing away is wise and natural. Joseph saved Egypt by his planning. But in each moment we should be able to assess our needs and be thankful.

When I stop and breathe, I am surprised by how much I can accept. Even now with allergies bothering my nose, and sleep overtaking my eyes, I can breathe and say with Incubus, "in this moment, I am happy."