Many of us resist change. There is comfort in predictability, so much so that we will put up with inefficiency, inconvenience and pain simply to stick with something that we know and have grown accustomed to. We will eat the same meals, even after it becomes clear that our metabolism has changed and we keep gaining unwanted weight. We will keep getting our hair cut by the same person, even if someone who is better, closer and less expensive becomes available. We will stick with the same computer brand that we have used for more than twenty years, even when other brands will last longer, offer more functionality, and are cheaper.
Tiger Woods is as remarkable as he is, precisely because he was willing to make a change even as he was attaining levels of success that were the envy of the golfing world. As one of the most decorated amateur golfers of all time, and winner of the 1997 Masters Tournament, Tiger completely revamped his swing because he believed that he could be even better. He was willing to look beyond the comfort of knowing what his current swing could do, to embrace changes that could get him to where he ultimately wanted to be. Just in case any of us needed a reminder, we are not Tiger Woods.
Our community, like so many resort-oriented rural communities in this nation, is growing rapidly. The combination of a virus that has caused people to flee cities and a recently installed fiber optic network across most of the island that allows people to work from home has created a wave of new residents and new buildings that is already pushing some of our island infrastructure to the limits. Some of the things in our community that we have grown accustomed to over the years will not be able to handle the increasing pressures. We can resist this, holding on to the comfort of predictability even as it becomes more inefficient, inconvenient and painful to do so. Or, perhaps we can take a page from Tiger’s book and dare to embrace the possibility of a different but potentially better future.
The one thing that we cannot do is fool ourselves into thinking that things will stay the same, either for the community or for ourselves. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that change is the only constant in life, and the centuries that have passed since he made that statement have demonstrated the wisdom of his words. Therefore, let us face our future as a community together, knowing that there will be changes large and small, and agreeing to work together to decide how we shall face them.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron