This Latin phrase featured in the classic 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, starring the late Robin Williams. It was a very powerful movie and remains an all-time favourite of mine. That phrase, “carpe diem”, literally means “pluck the day” and was originally coined by the Roman poet, Horace, in about 60 BC. He was expressing the idea that we only ever have now and that we should enjoy life in the moment and not waste any of it. Horace’s full sentence is "carpe diem quam minimum credula postero”, which is translated as “pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one”.
Of course, carpe diem has become a standalone phrase that captures this whole idea. It is commonly used and more commonly expressed – since the advent of the movie - as "seize the day." Probably, it was the movie that re-introduced this phrase to our current western vernacular. According to various sources this phrase began appearing in late 16th and early 17th century English poetry. One of the best-known examples, which featured prominently in Dead Poets Society, is in the first stanza of Robert Herrick's 1648 poem, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time":
“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.”
Williams’ character, teacher John Keating, asks a student, Mr Pitts, to read these lines as the students are gathered in the college lobby surrounded by school memorabilia and photographs of famous alumni – many of them now deceased. Keating questions the students as to what Herricks was getting at. Then he answers the question for his students saying, “Because we are food for worms, lads”. Keating continues in all earnestness, “Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room, is going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die.” The students are spellbound. It is a most memorable scene.
We only have so much time allotted to us, friends. All created things come to an end. Only God’s reign and majesty is eternal. The writer to the Hebrews (which I happen to think was, indeed, the apostle Paul), expressed the same urgent injunction made famous by the movie.
Hebrews 3:7 (NIV)
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear His voice, …”
Today is important. Yesterday, with all its opportunities and invitations are gone – they can never be recovered. But, we don’t have tomorrow, either. Not yet. The apostle James emphasised this:
James 4:14 (NIV)
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Now, neither apostle is saying that we should not sensibly plan for the future. But they are saying to the people of God, “you only have now, so carefully, wisely use this very moment, because once it is gone … it is gone.” In our day, we Australians have become so busy and so tomorrow focused that we can barely live meaningfully in the moment anymore. Even families dining out and awaiting their meal order are not communicating with each other, not investing in one another, whilst fixated on their smartphone screens. Recently, I saw a video message from Bill Johnson to his church following the death of his wife. He said many wise things, but this one comment resonated with me, in the moment. He said (and I am paraphrasing somewhat), “Give Him [God] the sacrifice of worship in the moment that you’ll never have the chance to do again.” In the pain of his grief, Johnson was urging his church focus in the moment on the most important things because life is so fleeting.
The MOST important things always have eternal implications. But so often we never have enough time for eternity priorities …
So many of our moments are overwhelmed by the urgent demands of our temporal, fading worlds - the stuff that will eventually decay and disappear faster than we realise – and which we will leave behind. The urgent always screams loudly, but the urgent is usually not the important. The important is what matters, and that is about preparing for and investing in the economy and community of eternity – moment by moment.
This is why Jesus said that abiding with Him is so important. The life He imparts to us, is eternal – it cannot fade. Every moment God gives to us to give back to Him invests in the important, the eternal. And this is what the apostle Paul is getting at, too …
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Actually, the NIV is not the best translation here, especially the phrase “making the most of every opportunity” – that rendering falls short. Paul says, literally … “redeeming the time”, and the word for “time” here is kairos, God’s anointed, appointed time – not kronos, tick-tock time. In other words, we believers need to be spiritually alert to see the kairos moments God brings to us, and make the most of them, by redeeming them, that is, rescuing them from the shrill demands and ravages of kronos time. There are so many things God does in a kairos moment that He only does once. Then that moment is gone, and with it, the investment in eternity that should have been made.
Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
“Whatever you do [in kairos and in kronos time], work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, …”
Gather ye rosebud while ye may ….
Seize the kairos moments, because kronos is short.
Think on these things.
Ps Milton
Sources: Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Bill Johnson video clip, Dead Poets Society video clip.