Pastor's Note

AS TIME GOES BY
October 15th, 2006

Recently I reread a book that I loved as a high school student. It was one that had captured my imagination and inspired me. Strangely, though, in this year’s reading, the book seemed out of date, a bit cliché, and non-inspiring. I realized that I have changed since high school, just as times and the situation of the world have also changed.
Sometimes a favorite book, song, or movie from the past still enthralls and thrills. In fact, I have also found some works mean more to me than when I was younger. Others, however, don’t seem to keep up with the times.
In no way do I want to fault the author of that book that no longer inspires. It meant a lot to me some years ago, and that is what it was meant to do. Nonetheless, it would have been great to find the old friend that still speaks to me.
Times pass and people change. In fact, without change we would be stuck in the past. We would be relics of a previous era. Have you ever had a teacher/professor who still uses the same old jokes and stories that s/he used at the beginning of their career? It’s just a little bit sad.
It is indeed a gift to be able to change. That requires observation, assessment of self and the world around us, and courage to face new issues. Basic values are still the same basic values, but the situations to which they need to be applied are certainly new.
Moving into the future also requires a little grieving. We have to let go. I was saddened that the book seemed so out of date. With open eyes and ears I continue to look for new books, new movies, new songs, and new stories that provide the inspiration that I need.