I am old enough to remember seasons without much change. In “those days” one could rely on a magazines! Time and Newsweek were popular options. Monthlies like Motor Trend and Popular Mechanics were others. Between them, one had a good sense of what was going on in the world! Trends were identified and documented. Speculative views of the future were released with artist drawings of what they might look like. Change was a part of life, however it was not at the center.
Those days were full of long slow afternoons. Listening to records, working on our tree house, and playing games in the driveway were the priority of the day. There were no computers, video games, or even television. I knew that everything tomorrow would be the same as it was today.
I do not know when you and I left that world. I do know that the world we live in today is very different. Information, data, and images flood our minds! Everywhere we turn there is something new; changing perspectives on far away wars and tragedies that overwhelm our imaginations. Today’s ideas will change. Whatever they are tomorrow, they will be different.
Our changing world calls us to consider our choice. Whatever we decided does not need to remain fixed. Given the world around us, yesterday’s answer may not be the right choice with the reality at hand.
Change is change, nothing more or less. The advice to older generations applies to every aspect of life. “If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a ‘single,’ and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It’s no sin; it’s not even a ‘step down’ from celibacy, as some say.” (1 Corinthians 7.36)
The world at dawn is different than when I went to sleep. I am reminded that choices today connect with the past. What I do now will speak of my values. Today is an opportunity to make a difference.
