Submitted by Pastor Brad Dush, Fairfax Methodist Church

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.

I am sure that quote will make some readers stop and question why a pastor would quote a movie at the opening of a “spiritual” article. I often think about this quote in life these days. Life seems to move much faster than it used to. I remember summers being longer as a kid, winters longer with more snow than winters today. Life seems to move so fast. July is already half over, and school starts back up in a month! How often do you think about where the time has gone? Or perhaps you think about days gone by and attribute them to simpler or even better times. Change always takes place. That is the great thing about Jesus. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:8-9, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.”

There is a lot in these two verses, certainly more than the space here affords, but simply put, Jesus doesn’t change, and Jesus is the Word! This tells us that the Word, the Holy Bible, doesn’t change. If we lean into that reality, we can stand firm on Scripture. As the world passes by us, we can seek solace in the truth that Jesus is the same! The world will change in many ways, especially the world around you. Think about the technological advances you have experienced. What about life closer to home, are you married? Do you have children or grandchildren? Life happens and changes all the time. This is where faith comes in for us Christians; we must place our faith in God and God alone as the world moves by so fast. Hebrews 11:1-3 reads, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation. By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

We need help to slow things down. All we can do is trust the One who made it all and holds it all in His hands. As the world speeds by and so much changes, as a Methodist, I am reminded of something the co-founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, said, “In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church.” It is fine to stop and look around occasionally, but God’s unchanging and unwavering Word is the best place to look for comfort, guidance, and encouragement.