{"id":868,"date":"2009-09-15T06:47:49","date_gmt":"2009-09-15T06:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/2009\/09\/talismans-of-time.html"},"modified":"2009-09-15T06:47:49","modified_gmt":"2009-09-15T06:47:49","slug":"talismans-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/09\/talismans-of-time.html","title":{"rendered":"Talismans of Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CBEN%7E1.WIT%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"City\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>  <\/w:Compatibility>  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=\"ieooui\"><\/object>\n\n<style>st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<style><!-- \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\tmargin:0in;\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:12.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}@page Section1\t{size:8.5in 11.0in;\tmargin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;\tmso-header-margin:.5in;\tmso-footer-margin:.5in;\tmso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1\t{page:Section1;}--><\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n<style> \/* Style Definitions *\/ table.MsoNormalTable\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\tmso-para-margin:0in;\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:10.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext=\"edit\" spidmax=\"1026\"\/><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext=\"edit\">  <o:idmap v:ext=\"edit\" data=\"1\"\/> <\/o:shapelayout><\/xml><![endif]--><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/file:\/\/\/C:\/DOCUME%7E1\/BEN%7E1.WIT\/LOCALS%7E1\/Temp\/moz-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<form mt:asset-id=\"7763\" class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\" contenteditable=\"false\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/dying_rose.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"dying_rose.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/137\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/09\/dying_rose-thumb-500x375-7763.jpg\" class=\"mt-image-none\" style=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/form>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">What lessons are learned<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">From the talismans of time<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Is life absurd<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Or is it sublime? <\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Smoke on the mountain<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Fire in the sky<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">So much pure beauty<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">No one asks why.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why do the sunsets<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Remind we must die<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why do sunrises<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Urge lift up your eyes?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why then is darkness<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">An ensign of sin<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why is the light<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">How all life begins?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why is there beauty<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">When frost kills the leaves<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Is it reminder<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Of his dying for me?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Snowflakes in winter<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Each one unique<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Blend into an oblivion<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Pointless to seek?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">What are the harbingers<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">That remind of the past<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">What signs presage<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">What can and will last?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Jesus once queried <span style=\"\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Why the signs in the sky<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Are easier to read<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Than the Kingdom drawing nigh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">God&#8217;s ways are not our ways<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Our eyes remain blind<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">To the signs of his purpose,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Of an orderly mind. <\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Signs of the seasons<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Hint how things will be<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Beauty and truth<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">In true harmony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:city w:st=\"on\">Asheville<\/st1:city><\/st1:place>,<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>Sept. 09 <span style=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; What lessons are learned From the talismans of time Is life absurd Or is it sublime? &nbsp; Smoke on the mountain Fire in the sky So much pure beauty No one asks why. &nbsp; Why do the sunsets Remind we must die Why do sunrises Urge lift up your eyes? &nbsp; Why then is&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Talismans of Time - The Bible and Culture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2009\/09\/talismans-of-time.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Talismans of Time - The Bible and Culture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; What lessons are learned From the talismans of time Is life absurd Or is it sublime? 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A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell. A popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Witherington has written over thirty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website. Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&amp;E, and the PAX Network.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/author\/bwitherington"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}