My final post at “Broken Bole” brought some great discussion, comments, emails and people around it. And I’ll be honest, it also brought a couple of difficult things and people back too. It’s the true risk you take, especially when you throw you’re thoughts out publicly. Something I had already been pondering was put this way by a friend…
I think it’s easy to say we’re sorry. It’s easy to say we’re going to live differently. Heck, we see Celebrities, Athletes, Politicians, Pastors/Priests, Church Workers, Friends, Family -you name it, come out all the time and say “sorry” to those who were hurt, offended, etc by something they’ve done and vow to change… but then they go right back and do the same thing over and over again. So I love what you wrote but I find myself these days asking - “yeah, but can you live it?” to anyone who talks about this.
Man, you gotta love direct and to the point questions huh! :) And it was a very heartfelt and sincere question in case it doesn’t read that way. Isn’t that the thing too, we tend to be a very forgiving society for the most part, but doesn’t the apology lose it’s value when followed up by the same behavior you just apologized for - over and over again?
And we’re not talking just behavior modification here, but true life changes. Anyone can be moral, it’s very different to be a changed person.
So last week while spending a little home vacation with my family, my boy and I watched “A Muppet Christmas Carol”! I love that movie, and have since I first watched it as a kid. I swear though, it’s like one of a billion that tell the Scrooge story. So as I watched it this time, my friends question came back into my mind, and got me thinking about changing and living differently (and voila, this post was born).
There so much to the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, but to me the biggest thing was that after Scrooge goes through the 3 ghosts and sees the past, present and future of his life path… He comes away a changed man. He asked the final spirit for one more chance… And when he received it… He changed. Some were skeptical, but even they saw he wasn’t the same Scrooge. He lived it. He didn’t just send a check to the orphanage and call it good. He didn’t just give Bob Crotchet a Christmas bonus and feel good about himself. He was changed. His demeanor had changed. His priorities had changed. His relationships were changed. His heart and his mind had changed. Scrooge was different, and everyone in town was experiencing it. I hear the skeptics though…
Yes I know, it’s just a movie. And yes, we don’t see how Scrooge lived every day after the story fades. But there are examples all around of changed lives. I truly believe that faith play’s a big part in that true change (that is certainly my story).
My favorite biblical example - the Apostle Paul… from killing Christians, to being one. Some people change, but some don’t. Some people are skeptical about the change, some advocate for the changed. I hope I’m doing more than just saying it. More than just writing about it I hope I’m living the change, and also advocating for the changed.
