By Dr. Darryn Hewson, Contributing Writer
Heraclitus is credited with coining the phrase “The only true constant in life is change.” While there is certainly truth to this is many regards, it seems that there are an awful lot of ways in which being stuck believing someone else is so stuck that we don’t even approach change. Failing to even a consider change for ourselves is just as constant.
Any number of things in our daily lives could go on a stuck list including church or religious structures, government structures, and personal issues. Year-round school, adding DC or Puerto Rico as states, granting territories independence, untouchable budget items, fear, and prejudice are more.
Whatever the issue, it’s always a good thing to find a time each year to at least name them. Whether it’s New Year, Lent, Ramadan, birthdays, or anniversaries, our calendars are full of moments that can be a reminder to look back, look around, and examine our paradigms.
For the church, there isn’t enough space to deal with the paradigms of “stuckness” that exist. The issue on the minds of many mainline churches right now is the possibility of major change in the US’s third-largest denomination. The implications are far and wide-ranging, not only for the 14 million members of the United Methodist Church but also far beyond with organizations like the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which is the second-largest relief organization in the world and the myriad of ecumenical organizations and partnerships that have long been supported by the UMC.
One plan got major media attention despite not being official and needing a special exception to even be considered. It would allow for these organizations to continue receiving support from a split denomination. One thing is certain: something needs to change.
The need for change has existed for a long time; however, a need doesn’t seem to be a good enough reason to change. One of the biggest questions is whether a simple vote moving a few percentages one way versus the other would make a change in the way the denomination functions.
The vote on issues around the LGBTQIA community has been as close as 51-49. If it shifted to 49-51 would that mean everyone has moved over? It is a church-dividing issue. It is not the first and it won’t be the last church-dividing issue.
Is the paradigm one of wanting the UMC to continue being one church that holds within it disparate views? For what reason? Is bigger better? Is agreeing to disagree for unity really about waiting until the people you disagree with finally come around to your way of thinking or leave?
We don’t know what will happen this year and we also don’t know whether splitting or staying together would be better in the long run. What seems important to ask in the midst of all that’s going on within several denominations and congregations is, “What are your paradigms?” Where are you stuck and why? What would you lose or gain from change? What we need to get passed are issues about how hard will it be or what are the difficulties so that we can move on to what is gained or lost and what is important enough to leave or stay.
Life is full of change but it’s also full of things we do just because we always have or because we make it hard to question them. That’s what makes them important to question in the first place.
