“By faith…” Hebrews 11:8
Heraclitus of Ephesus, an ancient Greek philosopher, was known
for his doctrine of change. In Cratylus, a dialogue written by Plato,
he is cited as the source of the notion that change is the only constant. In this dialogue, Socrates states, “Heraclitus
says, you know, that all things move and nothing remains still, and he likens
the universe to the current of a river, saying that you cannot step twice into
the same stream.” In the lives of each
of us, this philosophy is played out day after day, year after year. For those in our student ministries, this
reality is palpable. From the growth in
height to the difference in the voice of a young man, change is
unmistakable. For most, with this change
comes anxiety. And this anxiety finds
is its roots in the unknown and the
unfamiliar.
If this philosophy is true, if the only constant is change,
how then is one to overcome the anxiety of the unfamiliar? As a Pastor for Students, the counsel I give again
is again is for each to follow the example of those in the Hall of Fame chapter
of Hebrews. In the eleventh chapter, we
are told again and again that the heroes of old lived by faith. The two dozen plus students who make their
way through our youth ministry each week and the dozens of young people who
attend one of our children’s programs each year can readily respond to the
question of how to contend with change by giving a scripture response. The students know that we serve an unchanging
God and can quote a verse from the thirteenth chapter of Hebrews, which states,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” As we encounter change… as we choose to make
a change in life or as the choice is made for us, let each of us, as followers
of Christ Jesus, not fret through all the changes… let us instead have faith in
the one who's never change!