Kairos: Portraits at the Hinges of History

Along the stream of chronological time there are rare occasions where exceptional circumstances come together like the hinges of a door. The ancient Greeks viewed these “hinge” moments as kairos: great cosmic events that could be seized to benefit those who were prepared for them. Kairos is at the heart of some of history’s greatest stories. Kairos moments have been seized to raise nations, explore foreign lands, and discover new frontiers of science, art, industry and medicine. Many who experienced a kairos moment achieved fame as great leaders, pioneers, thinkers or heroes. Many more simply used one to make a quiet corner of the world a better place.