The Kairos (Part 2)

We have discussed the idea of Kairos as a particular convergence of historical factors that make possible some major, transformational event in human development, be it social, cultural, or religious.
    But there is another definition of kairos (small “k”) which recognizes that every moment that passes is a point in time that is open to the possibility of insight, action and human growth. This version of kairos asserts the unique importance of everything we do, every event and discussion, the direction of every thought. To be aware of kairos is to fully attend the moment, to see opportunities one might otherwise miss, to express our values and ideals in the here and now. Awareness of kairos makes possible the breaking forth (or actualization) of personal authenticity in the realm of time.
    The larger concept of Kairos reflects a juxtaposition of events, mores, and creative responses that make radical change possible – indeed, inevitable. The more immediate concept, the on-going, ever-present kairos, often uneventful, accounts for our sharpened awareness of life within the conductivity of time.

Kairos = “the right time,” a culmination of factors that make significant change possible. Metaphorically speaking, it is a particular intersection (or collision?) of time with eternity that produces an indelible mark, a breakthrough or major event in spiritual evolution.

kairos = what theologian Paul Tillich referred to as the “God-given moment,” the intersection of time and eternity that makes awareness and potentiality possible.

Awareness of the moment allows us to either utilize or squander whatever potential there is. If we move through time unaware of possibilities, ignoring opportunities, locked in a repetitive mindset that never varies, shaped by our prejudices, numb to life itself, we lose our kairos connection. We see the world through the fog of what is stale and self-contained in our minds. Instead of riding the immediate passage of time, we are caught lagging behind in its wake, more in touch with the past than the moment’s actualization.
    This is an important concept in Chivalry-Now as we advance toward the goal of knighthood.
    If we respond to the code, and commit ourselves to the quest, we become knights dedicated to the kairos, to awareness and authenticity, where the virtues of areté stand clear in their priority and development.
    When we respond to the greater mission of transforming the world, we become Knights of the Kairos, a "sacred" vocation to the religious and non-religious alike.