Just in case you haven’t heard this yet, this link will take you to a news story that speaks of the earthquake in Japan as having such an impact in its redistribution of land mass that speed of the earth’s spin has actually been increased. Of course, that is the invisible side of change that is also devastating Japan, washing bodies all over the shore, leaving people without food, water or shelter and exposing them to radiation.
And yet I often hear, “We’ve got to stop all the changes!”
How? How can we ever stop all the changes? I know I’m specifically thinking of the church here and the one or two persons who will say to me “Lots of people have talked with me and they are all upset with you over all the changes!”
My response: their argument is with God, not with me. Yes, I bring changes, but that’s because I’m a living being, just as the earth is a living entity, and living beings and living entities by necessity change and bring change to everything they impact. These people who don’t want change also bring their own changes–but those very changes are far less often acknowledged or recognized for the blessings/problems (depending upon a person’s point of view, of course) they may cause.
Many of us, especially as we get older, have some memory of a “perfect moment” in the past, where every single thing was exactly as we may have wanted it. By the way, I think this “memory” is what drives the ridiculous push to these outrageously lavish and expensive weddings that have spawned the bridezilla movement, but that is another story. Anyway, those “perfect moments” are often remembered very differently by others and, I do believe, never actually existed. Certainly, there are moments of luminescence that transform ordinary reality. I’ve been privileged to experience a few of those. However, they can’t be repeated, choreographed or forced. That’s part of their power.
But, back to the present. Within all of us is both the longing for some stability AND the need for change and variety and growth. No one wants the endless winter. Even perfect spring days will eventually wear on us for we need to move to summer and harvest; we need life and death, the breath in and the breath out.
I also don’t want to excuse change for change’s sake, or something done just to keep people off balance. That, in my opinion, is unhealthily manipulative change, and does not unite people.
However, I do say this: to keep fighting to keep things the way they were, when the present is not evil or bad just somewhat less desired for ourselves or our cherished routines, may also eliminate the possibility of the Spirit of God entering in and working out soul transformation.
Just my thoughts while still in the first week of Lent, and while pondering the unfolding tragedy in Japan. What can we learn from this?
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