Change is part of life all around us. Change is the divine, mother force that creates, shapes and sustains the physical world we live in from the distant and giant galaxies to microscopic life forms around us. What is our attitude towards change? Could it be the defining factor explaining the circumstances of our past and present lives? Could our attitude toward change hold the key to our future and how God interacts with and shapes our lives?

Today, in the Armenian Church we celebrate New Sunday. It is an ancient feast reminding us that through his resurrection Christ renewed the Universe. The beautiful constellations and stars in the skies are no longer merely emitting physical light but are also vibrating with the abundance of divine unconditional love. The presence of the Creator is no longer confined to the walls of the sacred chambers of temples and shrines, but is also filling and nourishing our souls through the Holy Communion and faith. The feast of New Sunday is a true celebration and invitation for change and transformation.

How beautiful it is that Easter takes place during springtime. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord we can’t help but notice new life emerging all around us. Warm and pleasant weather comes to replace the cold and harsh winter, the snow blanket in gardens and backyards melts away and beautiful flowers start filling our surroundings with vibrant colors and new life. If spring is the season of transformation for the natural, physical world, Easter is the season of spiritual transformation.

None of this is possible without change, without our willingness to be transformed and renewed. Our attitude towards change is complex and deeply rooted into our personality, identity and past life experiences. Our family upbringing, past exposure to success and failure, mental outlook, sense of self-confidence and self-esteem, age and value system all might be playing an important role in how we see and interact with opportunities of transformation and change.

When it comes to change we have a very strange relationship with it. We are attracted and drawn to it but also sometimes hesitant to commit when change is near and within reach. We like and embrace it when it lines up with and echoes our dreams and desires. And if change does not appear to be exactly what we hoped for and expected, we would rather avoid it at any cost.

However, it is important for us to remember that God sometimes touches and shapes our lives through change. The change we are about to repel and reject might actually be the answer to our prayers. We might form expectations as to how, when and where God is going to answer our prayers. Yet, that decision actually belongs to the sovereign God who knows and understands what and when will actually benefit us. The change we notice on the horizon might not be what we expected and hoped for and yet, it might be leading and guiding us through the safest passages towards the answers of our prayers and to God.