There is a saying, “the one constant in life is change.” Everything changes: relationships, bodies, weather, tax laws, taste buds, fashion, etc. Change happens to us and/or with us through illness, injury, addiction, death, job change, move, children, marriage, divorce, etc. Change is always happening.

And yet, as much as change happens, I wonder about the times we refuse to change, consciously or subconsciously.

April 17th is Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The week before, Holy Week, is when we walk with Jesus to the cross and experience his betrayal, pain, and death. We witness the path Jesus took so that we can truly lift our hearts in celebration of the Risen Christ.

But what if we witness it, recognize this gift of grace and love given to us in Jesus, and choose to do nothing about it? What if we hear about “taking up our cross to follow Jesus” but make the decision to keep things comfortable? What if we hear about how Jesus died for all people but we refuse to let go of our prejudice, fear of others, and self-righteousness? What if we refuse to change our life in response to the one who gave his life for each of us?

Change is constant, but we must each make the decision to be changed by the cross. May we allow it to make such an impact on our hearts that we can no longer be ok with our judgmental natures, selfisg actions, hurtful words, or destructive and harmful behavior. May it change how we think, act, speak, and respond in our everyday lives.