CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
Public officials routinely get drilled about changing their minds, especially around reelection time. One’s past pledges as a political candidate are not easily left behind or forgotten. Earlier promises are often used to measure one’s moral character in light of one’s actual voting record. A change in opinion can be viewed with suspicion or lead to accusations of hypocrisy. We want consistency. Above all, we want to know that we can trust others to follow through on their word. This is understandable.
Unfortunately, such political norms don’t often allow for the power of changing one’s mind. Jesus’ parable of the two sons suggests that a change in heart can in fact be a sign of deeper listening and transformation. Conversely, a refusal to change can leave us stalled on our spiritual journeys. In this way, “flip-flopping” might not always be a bad thing but rather might indicate our faithfulness to God’s ongoing role in our lives.
God’s promises in baptism make such change possible. Martin Luther encouraged that we daily return to our baptism. Every day God’s grace frees us to admit the possibility that we have previously been or done wrong, or perhaps simply haven’t been able to see the whole picture before. Grace also affords us the chance to allow that anyone can be transformed in ways previously thought impossible or unexpected. The promises that God makes in baptism open the door not only for us but for everyone else too. We can learn perhaps to trust not in consistency but in the endless possibilities for change and growth. Sometimes a change in opinion goes only as far as what we think will be most popular. But changing our mind, when done in a spirit of authentic discernment and from the heart, can be transformative. It might even open us to the kingdom of God in ways unknown before.
________________________________________________________________________
.
