For fickle creatures such as human beings, the idea of constancy is most blissfully appealing. Every day, we are inspired by the sun, the moon and the earth beneath our feet, which even while taking different forms, adhere to their never-changing rule of simply being present. Thus, by the elementary quality of steadfastness, the sun and moon have garnered the admiration and dependence of billions of creatures that use them as a calendar with which they can plan their entire lives. The sun tells us when to wake up and when to sleep. The moon dictates the passing of months. The earth decides the seasons.
Perhaps it is this awe for constancy that has affected us, or rather the fear for what would take place without it. For when we are forced to meet change, we often find ourselves crumbling under the pressure of it all.
So, as young people, when we find that the very basis of our current lives is change, how do we respond?
Recently, I found my eye caught by a silvery wisp of smoke rising from a burning incense stick. The smoke was thin and feeble. With every slight movement that disturbed the air within the room, it shifted its direction rapidly, almost as if it were eager to demonstrate its compliant nature. Furthermore, each wisp of smoke was quite short-lived. Each one of them disappeared into the air almost seconds after it rose up, leaving me to wonder whether I had seen it in the first place.
Then suddenly, I felt my eyes begin to water and burn. A series of uncontrollable coughs rose up from the bottom of my throat. Only when I opened the windows and allowed some fresh air into the room did I realise how powerful the incense was. Although it seemed as if the incense smoke was feeble and brief in existence, it had risen up and saturated the entire room. In fact, it was so powerful that it had begun to overwhelm me even before I realised how strong it was.
Human nature makes us fearful of change. We believe that we are like plants – that if we do not remain rooted in the same way for our entire lives, then we will not grow strong. We are, however, more like the smoke from an incense stick. Changing winds will carry us farther, and make us stronger.
If the incense smoke was rigid and thick, it could never move far enough to scent an entire room. Being receptive to change gives it its power. Perhaps one of the most important truths in life is that the only constant is change. Thus, the more change and growth we are willing to accept, the stronger we become.
There are too many constant powers such as the sun and moon which already control the world. If we, as young people, would truly like to impact our communities and our people, then we must not aim to be constant and rigid, but gentle and willing to change.
