A Day at a Time · Chapter
Now-a-Days explained
The chapter critiques the pessimistic use of 'nowadays' to disparage the present, using Nabal's dismissive remark about servants as a springboard.
What happens
The chapter critiques the pessimistic use of 'nowadays' to disparage the present, using Nabal's dismissive remark about servants as a springboard. It argues that such complaints often come from those who do little to improve things themselves, that memory idealizes the past, and that true discernment of the present is limited. The chapter affirms faith in God's ongoing work and the hidden growth of goodness, urging readers to trust in divine providence and contribute positively to their own corner of the world.
Themes in this chapter
Hope and Optimism
The chapter encourages belief that the world grows better, the Kingdom comes, and evil cannot ultimately vanquish good, despite setbacks.
Divine Presence in Everyday Life
God's presence is affirmed in the hidden growth of goodness, like sap rising in winter, and in the quiet coming of His Kingdom.
The Power of Speech and Gossip
Nabal's use of 'nowadays' exemplifies how speech can spread pessimism and misrepresent the present, while the chapter warns against such censorious talk.
Characters to notice
- Nabal
Nabal is the churlish sheep-farmer who uses 'nowadays' to complain about servants breaking away from masters, yet his own rude behavior undermines his criticism.
- David
David is the servant who sent men to request provender from Nabal, and his actions are misjudged by Nabal as those of a runaway servant.
- Jesus Christ
Jesus is referenced as preaching in Nazareth, where townspeople dismissed Him as the carpenter, illustrating how the present is often misread.
- Unknown
The narrator reflects on the tendency to idealize the past and urges faith in God's hidden work in the present.
Key passages
“There be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master.”
Nabal complains that servants are constantly running away from their masters in the present day.
This quote from 1 Samuel 25:10 sets up the chapter's critique of pessimistic 'nowadays' talk.
“There is far, far more of God and of goodness in the world than we suspect.”
The world contains much more divine presence and moral good than we realize.
This repeated line emphasizes the hidden, hopeful reality beneath surface appearances.
“It is not with observation that the Kingdom comes.”
God's Kingdom does not arrive in a way that can be visibly detected.
This phrase underscores the theme of divine presence working quietly in everyday life.