can I change my mind?
I would like to explore another angle in our gospel today. With this gospel I know that you are expecting me to say something about the connection between word and action. Well we have truisms which say, “Talk is cheap, it’s actions that count.” “You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” “Actions speak louder than words.” These oft repeated statements insist on integrity or honest sincerity - that words correspond to our actions - to say yes when we mean yes and say no when we mean no.
But my another angle asks, can I change my mind? Do I have the right to change my mind? Am I still right if I change my mind?
If you study the bible, especially the Old Testament, you will find out that it is very seldom and rare that God changed his mind about things. Well God changed his mind at the pleading of Abraham when he negotiated the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. I believed God changed his mind 5 times for every plea of Abraham starting with, what if there are only 45 righteous men . . . and he negotiated further down until he settled for, what if there are only 10 righteous men. Each time, for each plea God changed his mind. But this occurrence seldom happened for it was believed that once God had said the word it could not be undone, it could not be changed, it could not be altered anymore. What came forth from the mouth of God was as good as done.
This was the belief of the prophets and the people of their time not until the story of the prophet Jonah came into the picture. In this story God changed his mind. God was set to destroy Nineveh, but after just three days of preaching by Jonah the people went back to God and converted. And, lo and behold, God took pity on the people of Nineveh and he took back his word about punishing them by obliterating them from the face of the earth. This did not sit well with the prophet Jonah who wanted to see this mighty city of Nineveh destroyed by God’s wrath. And so he became upset when it did not happen. Why did he become upset? Jonah became upset because God changed his mind. However Jonah could not be consoled. For him when God said he would punish Nineveh he has to punish Nineveh, he is obliged to punish Nineveh. But God took pity on Nineveh. God had a change of heart when he saw the people changing their hearts.
So what about me? Can I too change my mind? Do I have the right to change my mind? Am I still right if I change my mind? Can I have a change of heart?
The two sons in the parable taught by Jesus changed their minds. The younger son promised his father that he would help him out in the fields but in a little while changed his mind and did not show up. The elder son in contrast said no to the father but in a little while, probably after some reflection, changed his mind and did show up for work.
What if the elder son said to himself, “well actually I still have enough time to help out my father in the fields but since I said no to him already I better stick up to my word and be true to what I said.” What if the elder son stood his ground? What if the elder son really stuck it out with his no and never entertained the possibility of considering the opposite of what he said? What do you think would have happened?
But many times in our lives these things do happen. We remain unmoved. We become unyielding. We could not adjust. We could not backtrack on our word. We remain firm, a firmness that is actually unbending and even obstinate.
Yes we have principles to hold on to and to stand up for, but do we have to be so obdurate as to be unmoved and uncompromising? Many times relationships are torn apart because we love our principles more than people. Many times people unnecessarily suffer because we have to appear tough and hard at all times. Many times we forget compassion and mercy in our desire to be consistent and unyielding. Many times we alienate people not just from ourselves but even from God because we are lacking in consideration and sympathy.
Yes many times in our lives we have to change our minds, we have to give in to the feelings of our hearts, we have to admit error, we have to take back our words, we have to admit defeat, and most often we have to learn to say, I didn’t really mean what I said to you.
I am one who would not subscribe to one who changes his mind every minute and every hour. That would be a most difficult person to deal with, to work with and to live with. But I believe that we allow ourselves and others too, a change of mind and a change of heart once in a while, when we have said no and are open enough to say yes in an expediency. We may not be true to our word, but we can still be true in our love.
But my another angle asks, can I change my mind? Do I have the right to change my mind? Am I still right if I change my mind?
If you study the bible, especially the Old Testament, you will find out that it is very seldom and rare that God changed his mind about things. Well God changed his mind at the pleading of Abraham when he negotiated the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. I believed God changed his mind 5 times for every plea of Abraham starting with, what if there are only 45 righteous men . . . and he negotiated further down until he settled for, what if there are only 10 righteous men. Each time, for each plea God changed his mind. But this occurrence seldom happened for it was believed that once God had said the word it could not be undone, it could not be changed, it could not be altered anymore. What came forth from the mouth of God was as good as done.
This was the belief of the prophets and the people of their time not until the story of the prophet Jonah came into the picture. In this story God changed his mind. God was set to destroy Nineveh, but after just three days of preaching by Jonah the people went back to God and converted. And, lo and behold, God took pity on the people of Nineveh and he took back his word about punishing them by obliterating them from the face of the earth. This did not sit well with the prophet Jonah who wanted to see this mighty city of Nineveh destroyed by God’s wrath. And so he became upset when it did not happen. Why did he become upset? Jonah became upset because God changed his mind. However Jonah could not be consoled. For him when God said he would punish Nineveh he has to punish Nineveh, he is obliged to punish Nineveh. But God took pity on Nineveh. God had a change of heart when he saw the people changing their hearts.
So what about me? Can I too change my mind? Do I have the right to change my mind? Am I still right if I change my mind? Can I have a change of heart?
The two sons in the parable taught by Jesus changed their minds. The younger son promised his father that he would help him out in the fields but in a little while changed his mind and did not show up. The elder son in contrast said no to the father but in a little while, probably after some reflection, changed his mind and did show up for work.
What if the elder son said to himself, “well actually I still have enough time to help out my father in the fields but since I said no to him already I better stick up to my word and be true to what I said.” What if the elder son stood his ground? What if the elder son really stuck it out with his no and never entertained the possibility of considering the opposite of what he said? What do you think would have happened?
But many times in our lives these things do happen. We remain unmoved. We become unyielding. We could not adjust. We could not backtrack on our word. We remain firm, a firmness that is actually unbending and even obstinate.
Yes we have principles to hold on to and to stand up for, but do we have to be so obdurate as to be unmoved and uncompromising? Many times relationships are torn apart because we love our principles more than people. Many times people unnecessarily suffer because we have to appear tough and hard at all times. Many times we forget compassion and mercy in our desire to be consistent and unyielding. Many times we alienate people not just from ourselves but even from God because we are lacking in consideration and sympathy.
Yes many times in our lives we have to change our minds, we have to give in to the feelings of our hearts, we have to admit error, we have to take back our words, we have to admit defeat, and most often we have to learn to say, I didn’t really mean what I said to you.
I am one who would not subscribe to one who changes his mind every minute and every hour. That would be a most difficult person to deal with, to work with and to live with. But I believe that we allow ourselves and others too, a change of mind and a change of heart once in a while, when we have said no and are open enough to say yes in an expediency. We may not be true to our word, but we can still be true in our love.
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