Changing and Unchanging
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” – I Corinthians 5:17
“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, . . . There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:24, 28
Some years ago, a series of question-type jokes made the rounds in which someone asked how many (insert your choice here) did it take to change a lightbulb. It could be an ethnic group you wanted to tease, members of a profession (in this town, it’s easy to pick on engineers), people with a certain color of hair – you get the idea. Of course, there had to be a Lutheran one, and when the question of “How many Lutherans does it take to change a lightbulb?” was asked, the response was a horrified, “Change??!!”
Well, we all hope we’re not such stick-in-the-muds that we can’t budge a bit, even when it’s really the right thing to do. But it’s easy to stay with the familiar, the comfortable, the groove we’ve worn that fits just right. History and tradition are part of our lives in the church, and we honor and respect our ancestors in the faith. Without their faithfulness, their willingness to sacrifice and their persistence in sharing the Good News, we would not have the wonderful, strong foundation on which the church has been built.
Change is all around us, and there is bound to be some tension between the values of history and the fast-moving world of today. There are probably times when we feel we have to choose – to hang back and find ourselves left behind the rest of society, or toss aside everything we find important and jump into the uncertainties of a new and rather scary era. It’s challenging to find a balance – to have roots as well as wings.
The scriptures offer guidance through this maze, as the Apostle Paul explained that when we accept Christ, we are created anew in him. Worldly differences and the old sins and fears of our former lives are swept aside, and we are brought together as God’s children on an equal basis. If we feel overwhelmed by the newness all around us, the letter to the Hebrews reassures us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (13:8) And so we are changed through Christ, in a perfect combination of a new of life in him, on a solid foundation of God’s grace, boundless love, and faithfulness.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers