The World Is Different
Amy, an elderly friend of mine, is concerned about her granddaughter. Sarah has drifted away from God, and she seems depressed. Sarah and her grandmother used to be very close, could talk about anything. Now Sarah tells Amy, “Oh, Grandmother, you don’t understand. The world is a completely different place now.”
Amy has lived a long life. She is old enough to know that it’s true the world has changed—but it’s also true that it is still exactly the same in many ways.
People seem more divided than ever. Technology makes it possible for us to be constantly distracted and disconnected, if we want to be. It is conceivable that we could have more possessions than ever before and be deeper in debt than we ever dreamed possible. Drugs seem to be everywhere. Many people appear completely uncaring, and they try to keep every emotion off their faces.
On the other hand, many of the same things that were vitally important fifty years ago still are vitally important. Good relationships are still where people connect at the heart, especially within families and close friendships. We still seek peace and joy. We still need desperately to love and be loved. God never changes—he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A Monarch butterfly is still beautiful.
I’d like for Sarah to know these things. I want her to have hope and to see that God loves her and will never leave her. I want her to see that the world is still beautiful, even if it is different, because it is still the same, too.
(Amy and Sarah are not their real names.)
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