I recently joined a Bible Study that meets on Tuesday mornings. We’re currently studying the notable women of the Bible, and it’s been fantastic.
Each woman has her strengths, her weaknesses, her faith, her lessons learned and her lessons to share.
But what I love best about this study is that it not only recounts history, but it also applies to today’s women. We each have our own strengths, weaknesses, faith, and mentors.
Today we talked about Elizabeth, and how her barrenness was a sign of “sin” in her culture. That a couple without children were “obviously” doing something wrong. This led to a great conversation about how society labels people without compassion; and how standards of living can be based on less-than-understanding ideals.
It got me thinking… even in “the old days”, society still had its popular kids, its nerds, its workers, and its takers. The gossipers and the ones they gossiped about. The instigators and the troublemakers; the abused and the victims.
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Lately I’ve been thinking about that a lot: how I used to “romanticize” the Bible stories… oh, things were so much more simple in those days. Were they?! Really?!
No home for 40 years. Wandering in the wilderness. Eating the same food every single day. Sleeping on rocks and hard earth. People killing people just because they didn’t like their religion. No tolerance. No understandings. Persecutions. Famines. Floods. Fires. Sickness.
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
But also rooted in the beginnings of time are the beautiful things: Life. Earth. Nature. Love. Human kindness. The fruits of the Spirit. Forgiveness.
Especially forgiveness.
Especially life.
And I’m so thankful that
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Because without forgiveness, without love, I may as well be without life.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
