Change
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” I Corinthians 15:52 KJV
Change is a funny thing. When the newest phone or latest gadget comes out, we are very excited about it. But when change mandates us to do something differently or has a personal cost we are less enthusiastic about it. Basically, we believe, change for our pleasure is good and change that requires sacrifice is not so good.
During the 1970’s we had an energy crisis on our hands. We were not the energy producing country we are today and we were very dependent on foreign nations for our energy needs. Problems arose when we did things, like support Israel, to upset these oil producing countries. In 1973 many Arab nations, who supplied us with cruel oil, got upset with us for our support of Israel. Egypt and Syria decided to go to war with Israel to reclaim some land Israel had taken. These Arab nations imposed an embargo on oil to the United States. Because of this act, shortages developed for products like gasoline. Long lines formed at gas stations. We started odd-even days at gas stations. If your tag number ended in an odd number you could fill up on odd number days on the calendar. If your tag number ended in an even number you could fill up on an even number day on the calendar.
Citizens were really starting to get upset about all this and they cried to the government to do more. Everyone wanted the Arabs to suffer for the pain they were causing us. Understanding our dependence on foreign oil, the federal government turned to one of the things we could do better: conservation or using less oil. The government started adopting efficiency standards to lower the amount of energy we consumed. Efficiency meant getting more output from the same amount of energy. The government imposed standards to raise those efficiencies. Over forty years later, the government is still imposing efficiency standards which they mandate to manufacturers.
I work for a plumbing supply company. I have been assigned the task of selling water heaters. Water heaters are one of those products people rarely think about, unless they don’t work properly. That might change this year. Those efficiency changes we talked about above are coming to the water heater industry in a big way this year. The water heaters that will need to change to meet these standards, which are almost all the basic models, will increase in price by 25% or more. Because the water heaters themselves have to change to meet these efficiency standards, space and installation requirements could add even bigger expenses. Yes, change is coming to the water heater industry and when you need a new water heater, I don’t think you are going to like them.
He was a very popular war general and he was running for President. His main opponent was the son of a President. It was a very tough campaign, which was coming to a close. It was too close to call, which added to the excitement. With other candidates in the race, it would probably require having some of their support to tilt the election in one of their favors. The other candidates didn’t seem to want to budge, though.
Media has played an important role in our nation. Early on we had newspapers shouting out the news. Usually this news was quite biased. Often there were two competing newspapers in a town. One paper would slant the news toward their candidate and sometimes that candidate would own or write for that paper under a different name. Of course, the other paper would be the same way, only it would slant the news in that other candidate’s direction.
But the media has not been exempt from change. You had newspapers which could be read and therefore you needed to have good writers who could inspire passion among the readers. Newspapers would soon have a competing form of expression in radio. Radio added the sense of hearing to the news. The background noise only added to the effect of the experience. Now, in addition to being a good writer, you also had to have a good voice. Radio soon developed a rival in television. With television, in addition to being a good writer and having a good voice, you now had to look good and come across as confident. Television would develop a rival in the internet and social media. Now you not only had to be a good writer, sound good, and look good, but you also had to be entertaining and quick on your feet to respond to people’s questions, comments, or concerns. Yes, even media has experienced the effects of change.
Often we have a mental picture of what we expect in a “religious” hero or heroine. The Bible is famous for knocking down what we think. One thing is for certain, God loves us because He sure puts up with a lot from us. The Bible is full of examples of God using the less than perfect individual or situation to make His point. Very often these stories can change the way we think, if we let them.
Our heroine, like so many others in the Bible, was just an average girl trying to live an average life. I don’t believe she ever asked to be a heroine, nor do I think she was a rebel. She just wanted to be like everyone else. She just wanted to get married, settle down, and start a family. Was that too much to ask? She probably came from a close family, but even in those families a child can feel they are a real disappointment to the tribe. It is often in those situations that God thrives.
In the Presidential election of 1952, Senator Robert Taft, President William Howard Taft’s son, and General Dwight Eisenhower were squaring off in a battle for the Republican nomination for President. Governor Earl Warren of California and Governor Harold Stassen of Minnesota were the other two candidates with delegates. Both of them refused to surrender their delegates to either Taft or Eisenhower. Taft’s people controlled the credentials committee. A new media, called television, wanted to cover those proceedings live. This would play right into the folk-hero, Eisenhower’s hands. The “pinched-face” Taft knew he was no match for Eisenhower if that were to happen, so he had his credentials committee refused the request.
Since television was new, it needed someone to push the issue. An up and coming star, named Walter Cronkite was up to the challenge. In an event that would have made Richard Nixon proud, Cronkite rented the room above where the credential committee was meeting. Here another newsman was listening through earphones to their conversations. He would then rush notes to Cronkite. The Taft people were confused as to where Cronkite was getting his very accurate information. A very embarrassed Robert Taft relented and let the television crews cover the proceeding live. A wounded Taft would go on to lose the Republican nomination to Eisenhower. Eisenhower would go on to win the Presidency in an easy general election. Television also started its climb into our daily lives.
A young little girl named Mary was approached by an angel and told she would be having a baby. “That can’t be possible, for I haven’t done anything that would cause me to get pregnant,” must have been her reply. The angel went on to tell her that this wasn’t just any baby she was going to have. This was the Son of God. The angel probably went on to say that God didn’t play by man’s rules. He is the creator of all rules. God loved us so much that He was willing to change the rules of how we could spend eternity with Him. He let His Son be the sacrifice we needed to offer because of our sins.
There is one thing about change and that is it is going to happen. Whether it is a different type of energy saving for a water heater, or a change in the method of media communications, or God’s efforts to get us to heaven with Him, change is coming. We can fight and resist it or we can make the adjustments we need to for it to be less painful.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, Often I’m a creature of habit. Rarely do I like change. Help me to be more open and receptive in areas of my life I need to change. Amen.
