It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all

“It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.” Thus proclaimed François Rabelais, the Renaissance giant of wit and wisdom, who clothed eternal truths in laughter and satire. In this saying he does not jest, but speaks gravely of the power of Time, the silent force that humbles kings, exposes lies, heals wounds, and reveals what no man can hide forever. Time is not merely the measure of days—it is the great judge, the patient ripener, the father from whose womb truth is born.

The origin of this thought springs from the Renaissance world in which Rabelais lived, a time of discovery, upheaval, and rebirth. The old medieval certainties were breaking, and new knowledge—about science, the human body, and the stars—was coming to light. Many resisted this new vision, clinging to dogma and fear. But Rabelais, like others of his age, knew that Time would peel away the veils. He trusted that falsehood, no matter how powerful in the moment, would one day crumble before the enduring weight of truth.

Consider the story of Galileo Galilei. In his lifetime, his claim that the earth moved around the sun brought him persecution, silence, and condemnation. To his enemies, he was a stubborn heretic; to his friends, a dangerous thinker. Yet as Rabelais declared, Time ripens all things. Centuries later, Galileo’s truth became the foundation of modern science, his name honored where once it was despised. The passing of years, like the ripening of fruit, brought his truth to fullness. What was hidden in his day was revealed in the harvest of another age.

So too in the affairs of nations. Consider the fall of the Berlin Wall. For decades, the falsehood of tyranny held millions captive, proclaiming itself eternal. But beneath the surface, Time was at work, ripening dissatisfaction, exposing corruption, unraveling the fabric of oppression. At last the truth burst forth, and what had seemed unchangeable crumbled in a single night. Thus, the words of Rabelais were proven again: Time is the father of truth.

Yet this truth is not only for kings, philosophers, and nations. It belongs to every soul. Lies spoken in secret, injustices buried, illusions clung to—these may endure for a season, but never forever. Time has a way of bringing them to light. Conversely, acts of kindness, labors of integrity, sacrifices unseen—though they may go unnoticed in the present, will in due season bear fruit, for Time ripens them into honor and remembrance.

The lesson for future generations is this: be patient, be steadfast, and trust in the long arc of Time. Do not despair if falsehood seems to rule today, for it cannot endure. Do not be disheartened if your good work is ignored, for in its season it will be revealed. The tree does not bear fruit in the first spring, but in the fullness of harvest. So it is with truth, justice, and wisdom.

Practical actions flow from this teaching. Live truthfully, even when it costs you in the moment. Build patiently, even when the reward seems far. Guard yourself against lies, for though they may win a day, Time will destroy them. And when hardship comes, endure, knowing that the seasons turn, and with them, hidden truths come into the light.

So let the words of Rabelais be carried as a banner across the ages: “Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.” Do not bow to the power of the moment, for the moment is fleeting. Bow to Time, and live so that when all is revealed, your life will stand as a testimony of truth ripened, not of falsehood rotted away.