Kretzmann, O.P.

English

ValpoScholar

Valparaiso University
ValpoScholar
O.P. Kretzmann Collection University Archives & Special Collections
8-1943
Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943
O.P. Kretzmann
Valparaiso University
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collection
Part of the Christianity Commons
This Collection Record is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives & Special Collections at ValpoScholar. It has been
accepted for inclusion in O.P. Kretzmann Collection by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a
ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu.
Recommended Citation
Kretzmann, O.P., "Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943" (1943). O.P. Kretzmann Collection. 6.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collection/6
...vJ {vv" XEffi A® ETESSlff 1 rj^
^
V
Ob* ot t^« M*t ta^p«HM«t ife«*Iai of oar littl* lunar in tihe Mb* of mm i*
4^e of th* {uroper relation of time eiid eternity, Alfio liere owr
iBtheran i^eolo^ proridee a distinotiire (Kod tmiqpiie approaeh, Xn *11 secular
•dueatlon the tesq^oral i« i^ught for the t«^oralf in Chrietlan eduoaticm the
temporal and the et«m*l are taught for th# eternal.
We have already noted the fact that, in a peculiar end special sens* the
fetors and teachera of the Church provide, hiamnly speaking, Id^e oontimtiiy of
the intelleotual and spiritual life in the Church, We are ^e living link hetveen
irtiat has be*n and what shall ha, ti e haarers of our h^itaga from one generation
to anothmr, the keepers of the lamps, the voleea of etinnaity, ti e vato^stm of Qod
holding the truth in trust until God Bimself translates our stewrardship into full
osnership. We, beyond all mm, must therefors be most eonsoious of tfcs jessing
of time, of the nearness of eternity, and of the prop«* relatiem between time
and eternity in our attitude over against our work.
The Christian Chureh has seldom in its history struck and mintained a pro-
p^ balance of emphasis between tMs world and the world to come. At times it has
swung to an eamiggerated otiierworldliness ediieh resulted in a withdrawal from life
A, '
az^^ complete failure to carry out Its mission of prwiohing and teaohlz^ with aiy
i
dagree of effsetivsness. At othsr times it has sucotzohed to thisworldliness and ,
^e consequent fatal mphasis on the iasMdlate, the practical,said the expedimt, msBt''
ihe desire for teis^oral honor and glory in a world which has no use for the honer
euad glory of the Cross, It is our task, imposed on us by these dark and anxious
days, to see ol^urly the continuing war between time and eterni^- and to strike
a^ln the divine balance betwema the ti^oral and the eterml, between this world
and the world to eome, between eerth and heaven.
I - , .-, . '
S M^ ^ ^ ^ I C_ 4
This is sll th# Bors iiaportmnt sines the sifns of the tiasi in sliieh ws live
have led to s rsnswrsd interest in ssohstology. As the histwpy of i^e Church demon*
stretes, this sasy be ei'^er good or bed, A sound, Seripturel esoMtology leads to
a s^e of mrgWQoy, in «ie daily doing of our worle, a realisation of the fact that
we are the property of eternity, and a long perspective which will enable us to do
our work with the oalm of those wlw say not stay to see it finished. An unsound,
unsoriptural ssohatology, sm th© other haM, w»y Imd to violent ©notional excesses,
a swise of blending dooa, and a withdrawal from the task whioh the Lwd has imposed
on us until the very end of thse end not merely until we imagine that the mx& is
otaoing. It my be well to rciaind ourselves that while we must rwsd the signs of
ths tiiMt and, by His graoe, oatoh a gliaqjs# His garmaats flashing through
history, Ood has withheld no seorets of iaportanoe from His ohildrsn m
Since Ho has not told us the hour of His coming it cannot be essential to our sal
vation, Hi® return is isf>ortant in the plan of redsn^tioni the hour of His return
is important <mly for a j^iilcwu^^of history, ihether th© si^s of the last times
are upe» us or whether the oataolysmlc changes in the world are the sigfte '^ofVecur-
ring divine judgn^t over th© sins of ^a, the i»edlats need for a fusion of t-lme
ai^ eternity in all our work r^mins important and necessary,
Th«a*o is a d^^iaita and distinctive Scriptural approach to the problem of
time. Holy Writ has muoh to say about tl ®^st, the present, and the future, Con-
eeraiag the pest, the Holy Spirit exhorts us ttj rsmsiri9«p the grace of Sod,
We are to reoall only what God hae done for ua. We should not remsnber our f<«»given
sins, our failures, and our weaknesses. We lo<dc baek upon «ie past neith^ with
pride'.or shame, but only with gratitude. So the prophets called again and again to
the people of Godi rKeiMmber the days of old«| so the first book of the new ooyenant,
the aagnifie«it story of the power and graoe of Sod in preparation tar th© nativity
Is called the "gospel of remaibranoe,"! So our Lwd, on th© night of betrayal, gave
pow^ and peace to all th© years between Calvary and His Seohnd Coming with ths
single word "Rwamaber," ^
m 3
It Is t&p »§« tlt«r^or«, to bsTO mr roots doi^ in the post*
-^Vi.
not in oor-eoB^post of feiluroi^ tet Ib the |«8t of Sod *8 ^foe, thus we om
atir up the groot poet oot of i1» sleep* lAieB we stsmd in our polpite we &r®
surrounded the soiats who howe gma hefore us* o PeuI* o Luthw* o Wolthor*
steading erouM us, gieing us o smse of oontinuing pmw eM eppointed destisf
so thet wo oen teles our pXeoes in ^e line of those of whtm the writer of the
letter to the Hid>rew8 speekst '^ScnI hewing provided saae better thing ftar ua* V
thet ^sy witimot ue ehould not ho aedo perfect*" Ihsdor tho Soripturel visv*
tho {Kietsis elsM^ avaaaesd up in ^o t«e*foId prey«>t "Bawswhar Ra»
SMdhar not ngr sinsi"
7^ e.
It ia not Moossery to point the Wmeedmm am^Mis ttpen the irosant
/•
in Sorlpture* pertiaolerly iUi the law Testeisnnt, How ie the eoeaq;rted Maof
iBw is the of selwetloni, Tho pest now helonge to Sod* Idie fbturo etili
heloEigs to Sod* Imt the present is «3rs, dey elmie He gives ua, Ee hoa
imken yesterde/ beck into eternity* end we do xnat know if He wants to give ue
tmorrow, <kily today is ours to work, to build* to plan* to prey for the build-
tng of the Kingdoa* whioh we Iniild in tine few eterni^.
As we turn to the future it is ospeoielly ln^Kxrtent thet we* as peatore
end teeohers* see it olearly atid eorlpturally, the poodulun of nodem thenight
has swung aadly botvosn wild e^tlniffia and dark pessimism. Only the Cluristian ean
really stiiid aside froei the wiv^sal oonspiraey of fear* the tmmiah gyaspdag
of ^e prosit, biKsause tho Ibtxure eeeos to ht wil^hout hope* Mid ^o doopwratW
attenpt to roMi tho future in tMsw of ^e pros«at, Espooially '^e pastmrs and
toaehars of ^o Chureh nood to plan and pray as themgh th«y would livo foravar
and to work as thougl tiiey wcmld dio tmight. Perhaps too often, neso* the ^id of
ft
a lifetime of serviee and saorifioe t&r tiie youngM* genM>atl<m have looked at
the wcnrld ai^ ^e Churob in the fading evMdng light with the thoughtt "After ua
/
- 4 - .
"the dclug^t" Ko deluge oe» deetrt^ Mie erk of Sod, The mnming 4fwe of tlje
world i»y derkee down iuto » hleolcer night th«i wma hoo mw loooen. Sod's 0AU8e«
hmmwt Is sefe in Sod's heads, Eie work will not tstn^ for went of jaoa, B4
h«rios his workaea, hut the wcark goes on, (Xir Swrior will noisier fall nor be
disotmraged. When we fso© the future in that ocmfldeiaoe, ew«i after mm^ years
of Icmg toil and se^ingly unrewarded labcnr, we shall ocaa© at last to tile e^ of
our mm brief day as good workism, unaiVald ajad umsiiwaed, ready for tbe erer-
lasting hills and the etcwnal Esmeions,
This profound sense of ^o neemess of etmiity to tias is an ess^tlal
part of our In^sran hcwitage. By the grace of God we here absa^ lived in two
wwlds, but Imve been at ho»e only in one, fbe Mdntsd Doet^ maois fleper's
essays "Die Diesseiti^eit des jr^eelts" and "Bar «ff«Ba HlSBael" were direotly in
the great Intlteran traditiOB of fWeing tiiae and eternity throu^ the' theology of
Oo/kIhe Croei, Our olosest aiMi laost latliaate^unlon wilh etmiit^, in fact all of it,
«<pes in the pwem and work of Christ, Our raaly work is to earry fflLa fr<Mi genfflra-
ti«i to genwratiaa Who redewaod us and laada^^ us ohildran of God mod heirs of etwnity,
Ktemal ^.ings end eternal values oamot o^ae into our work and life by the lew.
They ean oome only by ^ full message of salvation through Hlia «io mm into tiss
\ and spMe to neks eia' souls forever itee frtm the ohains of time by freeing us frwa
sin, eurso of earth and tisie. Vie are alrsa^ here arid now a part of the un»
4
ohanging world through Jesus Clwist our Lbrd Wto <mee oane froa ^ere and returned
i^aln to wait for us. The authwr of the lett^w to the Hebrews writeai "Thtaa art
a priest f^ever aftw the order of Melehlsed^." A priest foreverj was our
Mediator in all the eentsuries before Beth^^ as''He lay in the laesgar, as He walked
the Hoads of Galilee and Judea, ae He hung the Cress, as Be nm sits && the rl^t
hand of tdie Majoity <ai high, Throttj^. Ela ac^ in Bibs, our etsn^ Msdiater, we laay
- a \
•bid* in the •rts'lfl of otamity, rightly use and pees ttirwsgh the thinge
tine, wid beeos^, by Els po®^ end grace, the voieee of ©teralty apeaki^ in tlice.
fhle ia profotiMily and dMperately is^wtant for onr life and ®<»'k in ttrese
dark da^, CliUSi^iig to our etnmal horiti^o »e ahall not bo oonfudad by tlbev-shift*
inf winds of doetriae, w© ahall not mistake meena for ni^a, and we ahall alwa^ be
ready to plaoe our aen'tallty at ttie feet of Him haa made ua immart*!. Oar herit
age will give US toaility end power aid pdaee in a time asid in a world whioh haa loat
thea all. Unified and ©{mseerated'by tldt^ eosamja heritage and mr ocmm destiny we,
ea no oth^ P'oup ^ men in world, ahall go on from wiotcsry to victory. It remaina
for ua aaly to wcrk^ftod aa w© work to locds up now and ttmi to watoh aliadows
lengthen and «ie hour grew lata |knca©iag that f«r ua and «mr work alcme, the Inilldii^
of the Kingdom in tiims, the world still atascda, Hhm our work ia done and tise work
of thtoae who follow after ua, God*s ©looks will atc^, tSatil that htwr cornea ^let
ua eet our Iwmda to tha work whioh Sod haa given ua to del


Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso UniversityValpoScholarO.P. Kretzmann Collection University Archives & Special Collections8-1943Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943O.P. KretzmannValparaiso UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collectionPart of the Christianity CommonsThis Collection Record is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives & Special Collections at ValpoScholar. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in O.P. Kretzmann Collection by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact aValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu.Recommended CitationKretzmann, O.P., "Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943" (1943). O.P. Kretzmann Collection. 6.https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collection/6...vJ {vv" XEffi A® ETESSlff 1 rj^^VOb* ot t^« M*t ta^p«HM«t ife«*Iai of oar littl* lunar in tihe Mb* of mm i*4^e of th* {uroper relation of time eiid eternity, Alfio liere owriBtheran i^eolo^ proridee a distinotiire (Kod tmiqpiie approaeh, Xn *11 secular•dueatlon the tesq^oral i« i^ught for the t«^oralf in Chrietlan eduoaticm thetemporal and the et«m*l are taught for th# eternal.We have already noted the fact that, in a peculiar end special sens* thefetors and teachera of the Church provide, hiamnly speaking, Id^e oontimtiiy ofthe intelleotual and spiritual life in the Church, We are ^e living link hetveenirtiat has be*n and what shall ha, ti e haarers of our h^itaga from one generationto anothmr, the keepers of the lamps, the voleea of etinnaity, ti e vato^stm of Qodholding the truth in trust until God Bimself translates our stewrardship into fullosnership. We, beyond all mm, must therefors be most eonsoious of tfcs jessingof time, of the nearness of eternity, and of the prop«* relatiem between timeand eternity in our attitude over against our work.The Christian Chureh has seldom in its history struck and mintained a pro-p^ balance of emphasis between tMs world and the world to come. At times it hasswung to an eamiggerated otiierworldliness ediieh resulted in a withdrawal from lifeA, 'az^^ complete failure to carry out Its mission of prwiohing and teaohlz^ with aiyidagree of effsetivsness. At othsr times it has sucotzohed to thisworldliness and ,^e consequent fatal mphasis on the iasMdlate, the practical,said the expedimt, msBt''ihe desire for teis^oral honor and glory in a world which has no use for the honereuad glory of the Cross, It is our task, imposed on us by these dark and anxiousdays, to see ol^urly the continuing war between time and eterni^- and to strikea^ln the divine balance betwema the ti^oral and the eterml, between this worldand the world to eome, between eerth and heaven.I - , .-, . 'S M^ ^ ^ ^ I C_ 4This is sll th# Bors iiaportmnt sines the sifns of the tiasi in sliieh ws livehave led to s rsnswrsd interest in ssohstology. As the histwpy of i^e Church demon*stretes, this sasy be ei'^er good or bed, A sound, Seripturel esoMtology leads toa s^e of mrgWQoy, in «ie daily doing of our worle, a realisation of the fact thatwe are the property of eternity, and a long perspective which will enable us to doour work with the oalm of those wlw say not stay to see it finished. An unsound,unsoriptural ssohatology, sm th© other haM, w»y Imd to violent ©notional excesses,a swise of blending dooa, and a withdrawal from the task whioh the Lwd has imposedon us until the very end of thse end not merely until we imagine that the mx& isotaoing. It my be well to rciaind ourselves that while we must rwsd the signs ofths tiiMt and, by His graoe, oatoh a gliaqjs# His garmaats flashing throughhistory, Ood has withheld no seorets of iaportanoe from His ohildrsn mSince Ho has not told us the hour of His coming it cannot be essential to our salvation, Hi® return is isf>ortant in the plan of redsn^tioni the hour of His returnis important <mly for a j^iilcwu^^of history, ihether th© si^s of the last timesare upe» us or whether the oataolysmlc changes in the world are the sigfte '^ofVecur-ring divine judgn^t over th© sins of ^a, the i»edlats need for a fusion of t-lmeai^ eternity in all our work r^mins important and necessary,Th«a*o is a d^^iaita and distinctive Scriptural approach to the problem oftime. Holy Writ has muoh to say about tl ®^st, the present, and the future, Con-eeraiag the pest, the Holy Spirit exhorts us ttj rsmsiri9«p the grace of Sod,We are to reoall only what God hae done for ua. We should not remsnber our f<«»givensins, our failures, and our weaknesses. We lo<dc baek upon «ie past neith^ withpride'.or shame, but only with gratitude. So the prophets called again and again tothe people of Godi rKeiMmber the days of old«| so the first book of the new ooyenant,the aagnifie«it story of the power and graoe of Sod in preparation tar th© nativityIs called the "gospel of remaibranoe,"! So our Lwd, on th© night of betrayal, gavepow^ and peace to all th© years between Calvary and His Seohnd Coming with thssingle word "Rwamaber," ^m 3It Is t&p »§« tlt«r^or«, to bsTO mr roots doi^ in the post*-^Vi.not in oor-eoB^post of feiluroi^ tet Ib the |«8t of Sod *8 ^foe, thus we omatir up the groot poet oot of i1» sleep* lAieB we stsmd in our polpite we &r®surrounded the soiats who howe gma hefore us* o PeuI* o Luthw* o Wolthor*steading erouM us, gieing us o smse of oontinuing pmw eM eppointed destisfso thet wo oen teles our pXeoes in ^e line of those of whtm the writer of theletter to the Hid>rew8 speekst '^ScnI hewing provided saae better thing ftar ua* Vthet ^sy witimot ue ehould not ho aedo perfect*" Ihsdor tho Soripturel visv*tho {Kietsis elsM^ avaaaesd up in ^o t«e*foId prey«>t "Bawswhar Ra»SMdhar not ngr sinsi"7^ e.It ia not Moossery to point the Wmeedmm am^Mis ttpen the irosant/•in Sorlpture* pertiaolerly iUi the law Testeisnnt, How ie the eoeaq;rted MaofiBw is the of selwetloni, Tho pest now helonge to Sod* Idie fbturo etiliheloEigs to Sod* Imt the present is «3rs, dey elmie He gives ua, Ee hoaimken yesterde/ beck into eternity* end we do xnat know if He wants to give uetmorrow, <kily today is ours to work, to build* to plan* to prey for the build-tng of the Kingdoa* whioh we Iniild in tine few eterni^.As we turn to the future it is ospeoielly ln^Kxrtent thet we* as peatoreend teeohers* see it olearly atid eorlpturally, the poodulun of nodem thenighthas swung aadly botvosn wild e^tlniffia and dark pessimism. Only the Cluristian eanreally stiiid aside froei the wiv^sal oonspiraey of fear* the tmmiah gyaspdagof ^e prosit, biKsause tho Ibtxure eeeos to ht wil^hout hope* Mid ^o doopwratWattenpt to roMi tho future in tMsw of ^e pros«at, Espooially '^e pastmrs andtoaehars of ^o Chureh nood to plan and pray as themgh th«y would livo foravarand to work as thougl tiiey wcmld dio tmight. Perhaps too often, neso* the ^id offta lifetime of serviee and saorifioe t&r tiie youngM* genM>atl<m have looked atthe wcnrld ai^ ^e Churob in the fading evMdng light with the thoughtt "After ua/- 4 - ."the dclug^t" Ko deluge oe» deetrt^ Mie erk of Sod, The mnming 4fwe of tljeworld i»y derkee down iuto » hleolcer night th«i wma hoo mw loooen. Sod's 0AU8e«hmmwt Is sefe in Sod's heads, Eie work will not tstn^ for went of jaoa, B4h«rios his workaea, hut the wcark goes on, (Xir Swrior will noisier fall nor bedisotmraged. When we fso© the future in that ocmfldeiaoe, ew«i after mm^ yearsof Icmg toil and se^ingly unrewarded labcnr, we shall ocaa© at last to tile e^ ofour mm brief day as good workism, unaiVald ajad umsiiwaed, ready for tbe erer-lasting hills and the etcwnal Esmeions,This profound sense of ^o neemess of etmiity to tias is an ess^tlalpart of our In^sran hcwitage. By the grace of God we here absa^ lived in twowwlds, but Imve been at ho»e only in one, fbe Mdntsd Doet^ maois fleper'sessays "Die Diesseiti^eit des jr^eelts" and "Bar «ff«Ba HlSBael" were direotly inthe great Intlteran traditiOB of fWeing tiiae and eternity throu^ the' theology ofOo/kIhe Croei, Our olosest aiMi laost latliaate^unlon wilh etmiit^, in fact all of it,«<pes in the pwem and work of Christ, Our raaly work is to earry fflLa fr<Mi genfflra-ti«i to genwratiaa Who redewaod us and laada^^ us ohildran of God mod heirs of etwnity,Ktemal ^.ings end eternal values oamot o^ae into our work and life by the lew.They ean oome only by ^ full message of salvation through Hlia «io mm into tiss\ and spMe to neks eia' souls forever itee frtm the ohains of time by freeing us frwasin, eurso of earth and tisie. Vie are alrsa^ here arid now a part of the un»4ohanging world through Jesus Clwist our Lbrd Wto <mee oane froa ^ere and returnedi^aln to wait for us. The authwr of the lett^w to the Hebrews writeai "Thtaa arta priest f^ever aftw the order of Melehlsed^." A priest foreverj was ourMediator in all the eentsuries before Beth^^ as''He lay in the laesgar, as He walkedthe Hoads of Galilee and Judea, ae He hung the Cress, as Be nm sits && the rl^thand of tdie Majoity <ai high, Throttj^. Ela ac^ in Bibs, our etsn^ Msdiater, we laay- a \•bid* in the •rts'lfl of otamity, rightly use and pees ttirwsgh the thingetine, wid beeos^, by Els po®^ end grace, the voieee of ©teralty apeaki^ in tlice.fhle ia profotiMily and dMperately is^wtant for onr life and ®<»'k in ttresedark da^, CliUSi^iig to our etnmal horiti^o »e ahall not bo oonfudad by tlbev-shift*inf winds of doetriae, w© ahall not mistake meena for ni^a, and we ahall alwa^ beready to plaoe our aen'tallty at ttie feet of Him haa made ua immart*!. Oar heritage will give US toaility end power aid pdaee in a time asid in a world whioh haa loatthea all. Unified and ©{mseerated'by tldt^ eosamja heritage and mr ocmm destiny we,ea no oth^ P'oup ^ men in world, ahall go on from wiotcsry to victory. It remainafor ua aaly to wcrk^ftod aa w© work to locds up now and ttmi to watoh aliadowslengthen and «ie hour grew lata |knca©iag that f«r ua and «mr work alcme, the Inilldii^of the Kingdom in tiims, the world still atascda, Hhm our work ia done and tise workof thtoae who follow after ua, God*s ©looks will atc^, tSatil that htwr cornea ^letua eet our Iwmda to tha work whioh Sod haa given ua to del

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Our Greater War: Time and Eternity (Draft), 1943

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