(Each Saturday, a faith leader offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
By THE REV. CINDY LAJOY
As the “dog days” of summer begin to wane and school supplies fill the stores, we may be looking forward to the beauty of fall with its orange, red and yellow hues that greet us, but many folks often feel a little unsettled. Change is in the air, and with it can come anticipation, anxiety or even apprehension. Even if the change has been long anticipated, it can catch us off guard. We think to ourselves, “Did our child really grow up that fast and where did those 18 years disappear to?” as we pack their car to send them off to college. The end of summer also brings the beginning of new club or church activities, new job contracts for educators, and for some it marks the beginning of the race toward the holidays. For many, due to our childhood school-year conditioning, September feels like the beginning of a new year far more than January first does!
What wisdom of the ages is available to guide us in handling the inevitable change that life brings? How can we move from feeling unsettled to being content with whatever life throws us? There are as many approaches to dealing with change as there are human beings, but our spiritual selves may need to be reminded of the practical perspectives that can offer us peace as we move forward.
Most of us, whether we are regular church attenders or not, are familiar with the famous passage from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 which speaks about a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh. We innately understand this, that there are seasons in our lives just as there are seasons in a year. Nothing stays the same, and Buddhists also understand this with their foundational teachings around the concept of impermanence. When we yearn for that which simply can no longer be, when we desire life to stand still and never change, we cause our own suffering. When we can grasp the eternal truth that everything changes, we can begin to find a way to move toward acceptance of our ever-changing circumstances.
Have you heard of the phrase, “That which we resist, persists?” When we are inflexible in our thinking and when we resist the change that life throws our way, we allow ourselves to be taken over by the internal struggle to somehow make it all stay the same. The Tao Te Ching teaches us that resistance is unnecessary, and being like water allows us to “flow” and handle change more easily. Think about that for a moment: Water is a substance that carves the great canyons of the world, yet is also gentle enough to bathe an infant in. Water can exist as a solid (ice), a liquid (water), and as a gas (water vapor) and yet it always remains H2O. Just like water, we can be malleable and conform to whatever a new season in life requires of us and yet still remain essentially ourselves. We can change, and yet not resist that change, knowing that at the core our true self will hold fast.
When we wish for all to remain unchanged, we might inadvertently be wishing away the blessings in our life. In Isaiah 43:18-19 we read, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” When we can accept change, we can more easily open up to the wonderful newness of life, and we can take in new friends, new experiences and new delights!
So as the leaves begin to turn and the anxiety increases, think of water and allow yourself to mold to whatever “container” life looks like in this moment, and accept the blessings that unfold!
About the church
Athol Congregational Church, UCC, is a local community of faith that is “small enough to know you, large enough to serve.” We are currently celebrating in-person worship as well as offering Facebook livestream services under “Athol Congregational.” Our pastor and our members are available for conversation on our Athol Congregational Church Facebook page, and through private messages; we would love to connect. We offer long-distance Reiki through our certified practitioners, are willing to pray with you whatever your need, and want to know you, whoever you are. 1225 Chestnut St. Phone: 978-249-6202. The Rev. Dr. Candi Ashenden is Senior Pastor.