CHANGING  ONE’S  MIND

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Tuesday in Advent is, “Changing One’s Mind.”

When it comes to life - unless we’re blind -  one of the things - we discover is that people change their minds.  

They switch jobs, spouses, houses, ideas - sometimes right there - while ordering off the menu at McDonald's.  “Wait! Switch that to a Big Mac.”

If we can say, “Yes” -  we can also say, “No!”

If we can marry - fall in love - be nice to each other - the opposite can happen. When and while the Good is going on, great. When and while the Bad and the Ugly are playing on our screen, ugh.

In fact, love and niceness and goodness - wouldn’t be great unless the opposite could also be a choice.

Freedom - free will - choice - are down deep essential ingredients for being a human being.

CHANGING AND GROWING

The title of my homily is, “Changing One’s Mind.”

Heraclitus said, "There is nothing permanent except change." 

So one of the secrets of life is learning to deal with change - because it’s going to happen.

So if we are alive, we can grow - we can learn to know - we can see that there were some things we were not seeing.

Why? Because that’s the way we are - changing our mind in relationships, religion, politics, friendships, - in everything. How and what we see at 10 is different than what we see at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90.

Hopefully, we know much more about our mom and dad - brothers and sisters - life - God - than we did 20 years ago.

If we don’t, we’re not talking to our family and each other. If not, we’re not growing and learning. If not, we’re not thinking.

AN ARGUMENT: NIGHT AND THE NEXT MORNING

I’ve discovered that we can’t remember everything - every moment of our lives - but there are some moments that we never forget.  Some are dramatic moments - some are so, so moments. Strange - paradoxical to what I’ve just said, sometimes there is no choice in what we remember and what we forget.

I remember one such small moment. I was at a meeting for us Redemptorists. I was sitting at this dining room table for six one evening. In reality I was a listener, because I never got into the argument that happened.

Looking back I don’t remember what the fight was about - but I do remember that  this one guy was adamant with his opinion and three other guys argued against his position vehemently.

The next morning I just happen  to be sitting with the same guy who was in the argument the night before. Surprise the same argument came up - and this time the guy had switched his opinion from the night before and was arguing with the same arguments the others were using against him the evening before.

I was tempted to say something - but I didn’t - but I’ve often thought about that reality. Maybe he couldn’t admit that he might be wrong - the night before. Maybe he thought about it the whole night.

For some reason  that small human happening  - has often intrigued me. It surprised me.

In time I learned that’s one of the benefits for arguing. It helps us clarify our truths.  We might not admit we’re wrong or what have you in the present moment - but in time we change.

As Anonymous put it, “Change is always happening. People don't always see it, understand it or accept it.”

As Maynard Ferguson put it, “Change is always happening. That's one of the wonderful things about jazz music.”

That’s the beauty of music, food, life, religion, philosophy, sports, politics - and what have you.  Life is being given opportunities to learn, to grown, to know different slants on life.

GOSPEL

Today’s gospel - Matthew 21: 28-32 - triggered this topic of changing our minds. One son said, “no” for starters, but in time he changed his mind and said “yes” with his actions. The other son said, “Yes” with his mouth, but “No” with his body.

Conversion, transformation, change, repentance are gospel hopes.

Change is the hope of every person - about their children, their parents, their politicians.

Lao Tzu said, "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."  

Things don’t have to stay the same. We’re not robots. Things are not pre-determined, Stephen Hawking said, "I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road."

Life calls us to change - wake up - get moving in new directions. I am challenged by the poetic message of W.H. Auden,

Life calls us to change - wake up - get moving in new directions. I am challenged by the poetic message of W.H. Auden,

We would rather be ruined than changed,

We would rather die in our dread

Than climb the cross of the moment

And let our illusions die."

CONCLUSION

Christmas is coming.

May Christmas this year be a change.

May you experience Christ, family, friends, gifts, cards as a whole new experience this year. Amen.