If we understand ‘eternity’ to represent God’s perspective on the concept of time, we are invited to question how our short life-spans fit into God’s scheme of things.
You may even remember seeing the word ‘eternity’ emblazoned in copperplate script on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the turn of the century and wondered why it was there.
During the last century, a man by the name of Arthur Stace also faced questions about eternity.
Arthur’s life began with very precarious beginnings and seemed to plummet into devastation as time went on. Later accounts record that Arthur had become an unemployed, hopeless alcoholic by the time of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Surviving on methylated spirits and little else, Arthur eventually heard the good news of a ‘new life’ through faith in Jesus Christ as announced through the Bible.
Acting on that news transformed Arthur’s life to the point of wanting to share that good news with others. Arthur found a unique way of using that one word ‘eternity’ to challenge others to think of their lives from God’s perspective.
Each day, for over 20 years, Arthur wrote that word ‘eternity’ in beautiful chalk copperplate script on the streets of Sydney (estimated to be millions of times), which had a profound affect on the lives of the many people who read it.
That legacy was seen as important enough to be celebrated at the millennium new year celebrations.
What does ‘eternity’ mean to you?
●Contributed by Bruce Driver of the Deniliquin Uniting Church on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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