Last night, the elementary school kids put on their annual holiday extravaganza for the community. This year, as with every year, there were new little kids in the front row, and in the back were kids who, not too long ago, were up in the front. Most of the songs for this year were new, sung with great enthusiasm. Even the crowd had some new folks attending. Several things had changed from last year’s performance, but the end result was consistent with year’s past. It was a fantastic event, filled with laughter and heart-felt performances, reminding us once again of the important role that children play in a healthy community.
Our daily lives, just like the show last night, are filled with change – so much so that we often don’t even think about it. Recognizing this point, approximately 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus proclaimed: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. There is nothing permanent except change.” Since the river is our road to the rest of civilization, his comment is particularly applicable to our lives here in our island community. We see the tides come in and mingle with the rivers and creeks, never once carrying the exact same things exactly the same way. The intracoastal waterway testifies to Heraclitus’ wisdom, still ringing true today.
Many of us prefer predictability, establishing daily routines, following established protocols and standards, using recipes when we cook and reading manuals on how to use things (okay, so perhaps we don’t do that part so well). However, what that really points out is that we don’t tend to think about minor changes. The bigger changes are the ones that cause us pause, and our concern increases considerably when those changes seem to be outside of our control. We seem to think that, if we can at least control or weigh in on the change that is to come, the outcome will be easier to handle. However, if change is thrust upon us, that can induce anger, anxiety, and a considerable amount of uncertainty.
I guess it rarely occurs to us that bad outcomes can result even if nothing appears to change. You can’t drive the same car forever, because it will ultimately break down, and sometimes that ending is catastrophic. You can’t wear your favorite sweater all the time, because it will wear out. You can’t keep those kids on the front row every year, because they grow up and need to spread their wings. Conditions outside of our control are always acting on us, just as the flow of the river always changes the character of it, making change inevitable even when we try to keep things the same.
Does that mean that we should embrace every change that seems to be coming down the river? Of course not. Some change should be resisted, even if it will be a losing battle. But ultimately it means that we need to recognize that we are not truly in control. How we handle that reality will reflect who we think is in control.
Paul wrote to the church in Rome “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). What Paul understood was that an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God was the ultimate authority, and that no circumstance was outside of His control. Even as we find ourselves in the middle of change that we never wanted, God is working for our good. Therefore, with God in the driver’s seat, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron