Time Capsules

Somewhere around 1987, I worked at Norwest Bank (now Wells Fargo). The building you see standing proudly as WF now was a replacement building for Northwestern Bank of Minneapolis which burned in the late 1982 (Thanksgiving evening). The new building was nearing completion and all who worked there were invited to enter an essay contest. I entered. I was one of 10 chosen to have my essay put into a time capsule to be opened in 50 years. A minor achievement, but nice.

At the time, I think I was approximately age 47. Our son, Marc, said, "When they open the capsule, I'll bring it to your grave and read the article to you." I yelped, "Marc!" He shrugged and said, "Think of it, 97 isn't exactly a common longevity!" Yes, in our family we actually do speak that way to each other!

Recently a time capsule was found in Boston, when repairs were being made to Boston State House. The items were buried by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. Ancient things (more ancient than me) were pulled forth to examine. Yet not so ancient were these things as those uncovered in major tombs in Egypt -- those wondrous pyramids. Each time a capsule is discovered, secrets from the past are brought into new light in view of hindsight over foresight.

Who will care that my essay relates a tale of a little girl who stood with her father in their front yard and foretold the weather by studying the weather ball atop the Northwestern National Bank Building in downtown Minneapolis? Not many. Maybe not even me should I attain that age of 97! In case you do, the code was red for warm, green for no change, and white for no change. Blinking in any of the colors indicated precipitation!

But there is another time capsule. It is mentioned in Hebrews 9:1-10. There the prolific writer Paul speaks of the Ark of the Covenant. In it? A golden jar of manna! The staff of Aaron which miraculously budded (and is copied in the opera Tanhauser by Wagner). Also the stone tablets that Moses received from God to show us how impossible is righteousness without God's specific help and intervention on our behalf.

Jesus made the Law, the stone tables with the 10 troubling simple but impossible things for humans to accomplish, obsolete. He came, he entered into a new covenant with all of us. He made the law a possibility through His sacrifice which is God's merciful redemption of all of us who cannot keep the 10 Commandments by ourselves. Love your God first before anyone or anything and love your neighbor as yourself -- no less simple nor any easier to follow. But Jesus is there, walking at my side every day. He shows me when I am ignorantly or willingly disregarding such caution. He waits patiently for me to be sorry I was uncaring for God or harsh toward another. I can feel His sustaining presence when I confess, know I am forgiven, and step forward to not repeat the same sin. With Him I can do all things -- even love my God first and foremost, and love others better than myself. Philippians 4:13 tells me that.

Come to think of it, I am a walking time capsule in the building of Christ's living Church. Inside me are things that reveal the messy chaos when I didn't show my God's glory to others. There are also helpful hints for living a life guided surely and righteously by the Holy Spirit of God. There are things I don't even know are placed there that others will read and walk a better life because God placed them there for others to see.

So I wonder what will happen when the 50 years rolls by and my essay comes to light. I wonder what other buildings in America or in more ancient places in the world will reveal of their eras. I wonder if the Ark of the Lord will ever be found and what those relics will look like if it is. I wonder what it will be like when God reveals the contents of my time capsule and shows me just what my life here on earth produced for Him.