The certainty of change in natural life has been addressed elsewhere in these Pages, but we continue the conversation because change impinges itself on us during all the transitions of our lives, and sometimes stands as the main watchman and enforcer at the door of some transitions. We often have difficulty in sorting out the changes and their meaning, but they seem unconcerned about our opinions of them for good or ill – so continue to bug us or bless us. During my lifetime changes have been made in work (from hand skills to technical performance); in education (from personal development to professional training); in marriage/family (from gender guided family and marriage solidarity to complexity of legal personal relationships); in nature (from a manageable and resource driven social context to climate change, depletion of resources and a burgeoning world population): and the story may be continued. All this and more in the context affects our sense of faith, well-being, happiness, prospects for our children, even in the way the nations will manage in the tensions visited upon mankind – both from the actions of mankind and forces beyond the reach of human beings. The literature openly states that many of the problems of changes, large and small, will be delayed for the rich, but are already at work diminishing the lives of the poor. It is predicted that the negatives will ultimately catch up to all persons taking turns we can’t outline as yet.
Even personal changes, not classed with the large movements of nature and society, are affecting performance of personal and public life. Language has been reduced for many in its usage from a more specific and sophisticated context to recognizable gibberish. Persons openly confess to reduction in their reading, and writing to each other even less. Libraries are struggling in many communities to remain open. Material that is read has been reduced in both length and extent. There is some concern that substantive material has lost attention to greater degree than the novel, which is the modern form of ancient mythology (well made-up stories rather than real life), and sometimes adopting mythology to hold interest. It has been seen in much of the cinema that accents technology more than human experience. The changes in some of these areas have occurred so rapidly that they divide generations and even families. Many younger people deliberately evade relationships with elders in the belief that change has separated them. Elders may complain that even their children and grandchildren no longer identify closely with them.
Recent grooming changes appear to have been adopted by all the generations. For most men: the tie, white linen shirt, polished shoes and business suit are seldom seen, except where the men wish to show serious professional context that includes basketball coaches and business officers. Some new clothing is stressed in a way that we, even in the depression of the 1930s would say that it is worn out. Hair style for many is deliberately disheveled, spiked, falling over the eyes, even tangled over shoulders. The baseball cap is worn indoors and outdoors, even during meals. Beards are varied from handsome to scrubby. This story too, grows long and wearisome. The current style, that will change, is taken as comfortable so to be accepted. So say the proponents. There are comfortable clothes styles that may use the blotchy blues and grays. There are some deprived people in the world who might teach us about the symbols of our lives in grooming and dress. Clothing need not be costly, need not be restrictive – maybe shouldn’t make any difference. But, it does. Our casualness has not made better persons, has not lifted our eyes relative to our evaluation of ourselves. Why do we dress our babies so beautifully, with so much color, and with so much care? Is presentation lost when we grow older? We may forget that Aaron was told in presenting himself in the name of God to be magnificently dressed. Even Jesus, belonging to a peasant background wore a fine robe (seamless) – so valued that soldiers cast lots for it at his crucifixion. Even the laws of Moses included directions about the underwear for the priests. Apparel of Christians in heaven is included in Scripture. White will be in style. Our concern is to present ourselves in society as persons joyful to God. Sunday-go-to-meeting apparel ought to have something to do with our awareness of God. Have some simple changes served us for purpose? We are naïve when we do not consider how God would have us present ourselves. We ought to consider the matter that offers presentation. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020