By Jonathan J.Filkins

In the silent film era, we may recall the many stars who transitioned to the “talkies” of the 1920’s and beyond. Charlie Chaplain, W.C. Fields, Tallulah Bankhead and Clara Bow are only a few of those who understood the necessity of the change, from the old, to the new. To this day, we may discover their talents, forever recorded on various medias. Their works are their epitaphs, writ upon the silver screen.

Yet, there were some, for one reason or another, who could not make the transition. What with the advent of sound, some did not have the voice for it. Rudolph Valentino was a case in point. He, having appeared as the sensuous lover in “The Sheik,” where women swooned in the theaters, possessed a shrill, nasal voice. Hardly befitting a movie star, he had to find other employment. Others could simply not adjust.

Quite naturally, change is an ongoing challenge to all of us. It seems the older we get, the more difficult it becomes. Perhaps we carry the baggage, both good and bad, of experience, and desire the “simpler times” of our youths. Yet, in the analysis, our memories may have edited out the more dissatisfying bits of the past.

However, change is an everyday thing for us. We know that the weather will change and it is a regular topic. We know that we are changing in the physical nature of ourselves when we age. We know that there are seasons of the year which change.

In the complexities of our lives, much is about change. The children go from diapers to adulthood in a flash. Relatives, friends, relationships, and employment come, and then go. Life itself is constantly in flux, in transition and change. Some of it is of simple matters; many times quite involved and confusing.

Today’s onslaught of various sources of information adds to our confusions. Most often they tell us of the problems around us and then they leave it to us to find a solution. Some, like the silent film era actors and actresses, get “it.” They understood the necessity of change, in their lives. Most of us do not.

Franklin Roosevelt, at his first Presidential Inauguration, said, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Regardless of one’s politics, it is sage advice. Our fear of change shackles our futures and those around us. Consider, the future if more of us got “it,” and what our world would be like.

Getting “it” requires a secure grounding in understanding ourselves. Whether it be in relationships, education, employment, or having a personal sense of well-being, our always changing lives are wholly dependent on this truth. This is the “it,” in the getting.

“Well,” you say, “this is all well and good, but I have yet to find “it.”

The response, to the question, is not too complex. What is needed is a touchstone source, coupled with a guide to living well and a mentor to facilitate our understanding of getting “it,” in our lives; and going beyond not only our own lives, but above our lives. As Christians, if we are truly so, we have the answers on how to get “it.” If we truly understand the gift of Jesus Christ upon this earth, then we know what the unchangeable touchstone is, the unchangeable words of Holy Scripture and the unchangeable mentorship of the Holy Spirit of God, working within ourselves. It is when we choose to take our own path, without our Creator, we lose “it.”

Change is required, from us, by the unchangeable. Consider the benefits to us all, when we get “it,” and daily embrace our new lives, with Him.