Facing the challenge of a changing world
Rev’d Rob Anning writes: The world is constantly changing around us. All times are times of change, you don’t need me to remind you of that, but somehow there are times when change seems more sudden and abrupt, and there are other occasions when change is gradual, allowing adjustment. Then there are times when change seems imperceptible.
As we move into a New Year, change seems to be all around us. Newspaper articles and television programmes are full of reminders of what happened during 2008. And inevitably, as we stand on the cusp of another year, we wonder about what changes the New Year will bring.
Very few people like sudden or great change, and our natural reaction at times of sudden change is to retrench, to cling to the comfortable past. We see this pattern developing around the world with the constant threats of danger to our democracy and society, and we see the same pattern developing in our own country as the so-called “credit crunch” begins go bite.
This retrenchment often takes the form of fundamentalism. When someone of another faith carries out an act of terrorism or as jobs become more scarce and financial pressures increase, we are tempted to retreat, to become inward looking, to only “look after our own”. We all know the problems and difficulties that that attitude brings.
The Church is not exempt from this type of thinking. When Christians find themselves in a society that is constantly changing and becoming more secular by the day, the temptation is to move towards fundamentalism and to become inward looking. We, of all people, should not fear change or the challenges it brings. We should face change full on, play our part in shaping change, stand up and be counted, and not be seen as a group of people who turn away and hide from change.
So whatever 2009 might like to throw at us, and change will be a certainty, let’s face it with the confidence that our faith gives us. Let’s be like Jesus and be open-minded, non-judgemental and face change creatively. As we embrace change, so God will embrace us in the changing.