As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night will never cease.
Genesis 8:22
I have been doing much reflection lately for a variety of reasons. First, graduation from
seminary is in sight (230 days to be exact, but who is counting?). Second, I have been rereading
various papers and articles I have written prior to the pandemic and pondering life BCT (Before
Covid Times). Several years ago, I wrote an article about how chaos often occurs before change
takes place and I quoted a phrase that my dad often told me, “Change is the only constant in life.”
My dad was very well read but I was fairly certain at the time that he did not make that quote up,
so I did a bit of research and Googled it.
A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus who lived some 500 years before Jesus Christ gets
the credit for having said that “change is the only constant in life.” Heraclitus was an interesting
fellow who had some rather dark and radical philosophies, but he is said to have influenced many
other philosophers including the likes of Plato and Aristotle. Interesting that a quote from so long
ago can still be so relevant to today’s society and its challenges.
Every day, everywhere, things are changing around us. The weather is slowing turning away
from the dog days of summer into somewhat cooler temperatures here in Austin, a new school year
has begun for kids and families and football games have started which always signifies a new
season is here in Texas. As we move through this season of the year and this time in our lives and in
our church’s life, let us slow our pace and focus on the important things in our lives, in our
community of faith, and in our communities in which we work and live. May we embrace the
changes that lie ahead in each area of our lives for the only thing in life that is constant is change.
Shalom,
Pastor Heidi