1
For Russell Stuart Irwin, writing has always provided a way to explore the ideas and experiences that shape people’s lives. His work has crossed multiple genres and subjects, ranging from the award winning novel Wind to the biographical works Blessed Beyond Measure and Prepare for Leadership. His newest book, It Is Time, brings those experiences together around a question that is both simple and profound: What does Scripture teach us about time?Recently published, It Is Time builds on Irwin’s longstanding fascination with storytelling, meaning, and the different layers of human experience. His approach is strongly influenced by his identity as an artist. Rather than examining Scripture exclusively through a theological lens, he considers its treatment of time through ideas of movement, structure, order, purpose, and beauty. This led him to what he calls an exploration of the “aesthetics of time” found throughout Scripture.
“I often interpret Scripture through the eyes of an artist,” Irwin says. “I love the Scriptures, and I think there is something distinctive about approaching them with that artistic perspective. I became fascinated with the subject of time and the scriptural aesthetic of time, including its order, its movement, its forms, its function, its purpose and the way it reveals something about the beauty of time as Scripture communicates it.”That perspective forms the foundation of It Is Time, which considers the different ways time functions within biblical stories as well as within everyday human life. For Irwin, time is more than a measurement used to organize daily existence. He views it as part of a purposeful creation that gives people the opportunity to experience relationships, discover meaning, and develop a deeper spiritual understanding.
“I think the scriptural revelation of time is that it is the invention of our Creator, and like all inventions, it has a purpose,” he explains. “Ultimately, I believe that purpose is the discovery of relationship with our Creator.”
This interpretation is also connected to Irwin’s long career as a visual artist. Over roughly four decades, his artistic practice evolved from photorealistic painting into a distinctive process built around layers of paper, color, and imagery. He began experimenting with torn paper and mosaic inspired surfaces before developing sanding techniques that allowed him to work through multiple layers and reveal images underneath.That process transformed the way he approached visual storytelling. Working through layers encouraged Irwin to consider the relationships between shapes, colors, textures, and forms while also creating an element of discovery. Over time, the technique became central to his artistic identity and influenced the way he learned to approach writing.
The concept of layers also holds a deeper meaning in Irwin’s understanding of time. His artistic process requires him to move through accumulated surfaces before discovering what exists underneath. He sees a similar process in the way people experience memory, relationships, personal history, and meaning.“I really like the idea because embedding imagery into layers of paper and then sanding back down to it is almost archaeological in nature,” he says. “It reflects the way I think as a human being and as an artist. I tend to think in layers, going back through them, examining what is there and discovering the forms, beauty, color and relationships that have accumulated over time. In that sense, I think doing art for 40 years essentially taught me how to write in the way that I write.”That philosophy becomes especially meaningful in Irwin’s discussion of relationships. He believes the significance of time is often revealed not by the length of an individual moment but by what people carry with them after that moment has passed. An encounter lasting only a few minutes can sometimes influence a person for decades.
He illustrates this idea through an experience involving his wife, who has spent her career as a nurse. During a recent encounter, she recognized the voice of a woman she had met approximately two decades earlier. The woman remembered Irwin’s wife from a difficult period in her life, when the nurse had remained by her side for three days after she delivered a stillborn child.For Irwin, the encounter demonstrated how an act of compassion can remain deeply embedded in someone’s memory long after the original experience has ended.“The woman said, ‘I knew that was you. I will never forget that voice,’” Irwin recalls. “Twenty years earlier, my wife had been by her side for three days during one of the darkest experiences of her life. Yet because of the kindness, love, and faithfulness she experienced during that time, she and her family were able to come through it intact and continue to thrive. That made me think about the beauty of something as simple as a voice and how time carries those meaningful experiences forward.”That story reflects one of the central ideas within Irwin’s work. He sees time as the setting in which relationships develop, memories accumulate, and meaning gradually becomes visible.
“Time is made for relationships and for meaning,” he says. “It is the conveyor and the platform through which we discover what is meaningful. Everything we value in human experience has some relationship to time, whether it is a memory, a relationship, an act of kindness or our relationship with our Creator.”The idea takes on additional significance in a society increasingly shaped by technology. Irwin believes the constant presence of digital devices can fragment attention and create distance within relationships. His concern is not simply about technology itself, but about ensuring that human purpose and meaningful connection are not lost within an increasingly connected world.“We are living at a time when there is a real danger of dehumanization and relational disconnection through our devices,” he says. “We need to remember that there is a beautiful story to be invested in within every moment and that our relationships with one another and with our Creator are part of what gives our lives direction.”
Through It Is Time, Irwin brings together his experiences as an artist, author, and observer of human life to examine a subject that sits at the intersection of Scripture, philosophy, creativity, and everyday experience.For Irwin, time is not simply something that passes. It is the space in which people encounter one another, build relationships, preserve memories, discover beauty, and search for purpose. By viewing time through both an artistic and scriptural perspective, It Is Time invites readers to consider not only how they spend their time, but what they choose to discover and create within it.
