Born At The Right Time

In 1990, Paul Simon wrote a song, Born At The Right Time, featured in his album, The Rhythm Of The Saints, which received a Grammy for Album of the Year, and peaked at #4 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K.  (The song played twice in the album, once with his full band - and a second time as an acoustic demo.)  He then decided to name his following 1991 tour, the Born At The Right Time Tour.  Later, in 1997, Import released a best of Paul Simon album entitled, Born At The Right Time, with the title song featured as the last song on the album.  In 2003, PBS produced an American Masters series on Paul Simon entitled, Born At The Right Time.

I recently listened to the album, and this song struck me, so I felt I needed to learn and perform it before others.  I found the lyrics fascinating, and it took me a while for me to figure out my own understanding of it.  (You can look at the lyrics at a later post where I examine it.) I largely understood the song as speaking to the innocence of babes and young children, which we should strive to  emulate, since Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3 - NIV.)

However, his line at the end of the chorus particularly struck me - born at the right time, especially since Scripture informs us But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. (Galatians 4:4 - NLT.)  In other word, Jesus Christ was born at the right time, as well as the right place.  For many reasons, Christ was born not too early, or too late, but just at the right time, as well as the right place.  (Paul Simon might not understand his song this way, but I do.  It is interesting that the title of the album is The Rhythm Of The Saints.)

Scripture also implies that we were born at the right time.  When St. Paul asserted, before the Greeks in Athens at the Agreopagus, that God marked out the boundaries and times of nations (Acts 17:26), his statement implies that God determines the times and places of our births.  In other words, we were born at the right place and time.  Though we had nothing to say, or do, about the time or place of our birth, and though we might be unaware of it, our birth fit into God's plan.

Since God chose the time and place of our birth, our lives have meaning and purpose. Our birth was not a meaningless accident.  It did not come about by random chance.  As we discover God's plan and purpose for our lives, we can work with that plan and purpose in order to please God, better our lives, and better the lives of those around us.  So Scripture informs us, And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes.  (Romans 8:28 - NIV.)