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‘If it ‘aint broke…’
by
Commissioner Wesley Harris
I READ an article with the title, ‘If it ‘aint
broke – break it’. I suspect that while the author’s pen was
on the paper his tongue was in his cheek! He was being
provocative and seeking to catch the attention of his readers.
But of course, taken at face value the title does not make
sense.
Change is inevitable and sometimes very necessary. The only
place where there is likely to be little change is a cemetery!
Where there is life there is change and responding to it and
sometimes initiating it is a requirement for everyone –
especially in the post modern world.
But ‘All change!’ may not be the call to heed. Too much change
can be de-stabilising and counter-productive and we need to
beware of the ‘change junky’ who would alter everything as
much as the ‘stick-in the-mud’ who wants no change at all,
whatever the circumstances. The courage to change what needs
to be changed is one thing but the itch to change things for
the sake of change may be something else.
Convention may be a dead hand but it may also be a guiding
hand. All who went before us were not fools and some of the
principles – and even some of the methods – which served well
in the past may still serve well today.
The focus of JAC is on the Church and particularly that part
of it which is The Salvation Army. Without doubt ‘new
occasions teach new duties’. We live in the world of the
internet not the horse and buggy. Technology has affected us
all. But contrary to some suppositions, human nature hasn’t
changed all that much. Basic needs remain and seeking to meet
them is still, for us, what it is all about.
I recently attended a graduation event at the 614 Corps in
Melbourne and rejoiced at the radical conservatism
demonstrated. Those taking part were ‘switched on’. As far as
I was able to judge, the music styles were bang up to date.
Yet the ‘old time religion’ was also in evidence. Those taking
part included retired General Eva Burrows who is regularly
engaged at the centre as well as young people giving a year or
more full-time service successfully seeking to win people for
Christ in the inner city.
When they spoke of their outreach those up-to-date youngsters
were not embarrassed to speak of methods that would have been
employed in William Booth’s days as well as brand new
initiatives.
Prayer, costly caring and personal contact were part of the
Army’s stock-in-trade when we began and, thankfully, they
still are!
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