The words transformation and change encompass so much of our walk as Christians. Certainly the event of our Lord’s Transfiguration is a critical occurrence that informs His Disciples of His true identity. This event forced them to consider a new reality.
Changing one’s perspective about someone is not easy and changing one’s perspective about an idea or a situation is equally as hard. Change in general is difficult and most of us have experienced the discomfort that comes because of change. As things grow they change and as we experience and encounter new ideas, new people, new circumstances we are confronted with a choice. The choice is whether we can adapt and transform to encounter our new surroundings or whether we will remain fixed to our previous way of thinking.
Saint Paul in writing his epistle to the Romans encountered this same challenge and wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Romans 12:2). Conforming to the world and to a particular set of circumstances can be a deadly thing. On the other hand renewal and transformation leads to life because we continue to grow and as St. Paul writes we even learn to discern what the will of God is.
Over the past several years and even recently we have each faced change in our own way. Yet we never encounter change alone rather it is something that is encountered within the setting of a community. This fact can increase the level of anxiety or fear that we feel. Not only must we adapt to our new surroundings personally but we must do so within the context of the relationships we hold dear.
In our beloved community of Saint Spyridon we see the change that has occurred over the past several years. We also realize that we have set a course for ourselves that is challenging because it requires constant transformation. The goal then for each of us is to grow alongside of the changes we face in order to discern God’s will and to bring it to fruition in our lives and that of our community.
In order to inspire us in this endeavor we close this short reflection with some additional words from Saint Paul and a letter to the church in Philippi. In this passage he is speaking to Christians about the high call of salvation and the pursuit of it. The pursuit is all-encompassing and his words speak clearly of the challenge also for constant transformation and change, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:13-14).
+Father Evan