You called on me in trouble, and I saved you . . . (Psalm 81:7)

The 30+ years I have served in the Church have seen a great deal of change. Change, whether for good or ill, always equals stress. The issues we confront are more often than not the same ones that confront the society in which we live. Sometimes they generate high emotion, and this can make the the stress even worse. Confronting these issues can place well meaning people on opposite sides or lead to a perceived (or real) betrayal of trust. 

I know that one of the things that happens when trust has been betrayed (or even the perception of same) people can harden their spirits. We become suspicious and fearful as we work through that betrayal.  That's a natural reaction - we simply want (and often need) to protect ourselves. In our Church, in our nation, or, indeed, in any human society, however, we tend to turn upon the weak, the poor, the stranger, when we ourselves feel insecure. 

I pray that I am one of those that continues to trust in God, even when human beings let me down. I want to be someone who can encourage that trust in those committed to my care. 

I know that I can not control the behavior of other human beings, but I want always to be someone who is willing to move beyond disappointment and fear to embrace the hope that Jesus continuously offers us. Rather than "circle the wagons" in a spasm of self-protective fear when confronted with unexpected change, I pray that I, that we, can open our hearts to new possibilities with every change that comes are way.