The Brink of Eternity: Duane W.H. Arnold, PhD

The Brink of Eternity

The last conversation that I had with my friend and mentor, Charles Kannengiesser, was the week before Christmas in 2017.  Charles was to die just two months later. Dementia had clearly taken hold.  Gone were the days of detailing Greek variants in the works of Athanasius, or discussing the latest archeological finds in Alexandria.  Now we talked about the care facility in which he lived or the light historical novels that he had taken to reading in his later years.  Nevertheless, Charles could still surprise me.  As the call was coming to a close he mentioned that he would like to see me again “this side of eternity”.  I replied something along the lines that I hoped that would happen as well.  He then said, “I shouldn’t be surprised to be at the brink of eternity, after all, we celebrate it every year at Christmas, whether it is our first or our last…”

The brink of eternity…

What Charles meant by this is that the birth of Christ, the Word made flesh, is so much more than our sentimental versions of the Christmas story, enshrined in church pageants and Christmas cards.  For Charles, the translator and interpreter of Athanasius, Christmas marks the an event of cosmic dimensions.  It literally signifies the  breaking into our world of eternity.  As Athanasius wrote:

“The Word visits the earth, where he has always been present [in creation], and sees its evil condition. He takes a human body, born of a pure virgin in whose womb he makes human flesh his own, in which to reveal himself, to conquer death, and to restore life. For this purpose,  the incorporeal and incorruptible eternal Word of God comes to our realm…”

The brink of eternity, indeed…

This year feels very different from other years.  This year, my wife and I will celebrate Christmas on our own, without friends or family.  My mother will be alone in her assisted living facility. This year, reading the notes in many of the Christmas cards we have received, we have been reminded that we are in the midst of a virulent pandemic as we have taken in the reports of those who have tested positive for the virus.  More sobering yet have been the reports concerning those who have been hospitalized and, worse yet, those who have died.  In giving gifts, we have had to rely upon the postal service or, locally, dropping things off on porches and in mailboxes.  As our city is experiencing wide spread unemployment, this year we have tried to especially remember service people and frontline workers in our giving.  Yet, as much as we do and as much as we try to make this Christmas “normal” it almost seems an impossible task.  The world feels very broken. 

More than other years I need to hear the readings for the midnight Mass at church, but it would endanger others to attend. So, this Christmas Eve we will hear the words in our home. We will read the story of the birth of Christ and then turn to the first chapter of John’s gospel.  We will start with, “In the beginning was the Word…”  and the last words we will hear will be these, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

This year, this Christmas Eve, perhaps above other years, I’ll be reminded that my friend Charles was right, we are truly on the brink of eternity and we need not fear…

Duane W.H. Arnold, PhD

The Project