ch-ch-ch-changes!

"People change when they encounter God in meaningful ways." *

I know what she means -- encountering God can wrought mighty, unbelievable, life-alteringforthebetter-change. 


But what about when you encounter notGod? That can bring about change as well. People change -- and not necessarily for-the-better -- when they encounter evil, don't they?  

Encountering the hard, cold, realities of this world changes a person as well. We are changed by it. Changed by meanness. And cruelty. By simple, unadulterated evil.


But, being changed by what we encounter in life -- isn't that what shapes our lives?  All of our lives? (both in time and aspect sorts of ways). If one were not capable of being changed by what one encounters -- now that would be a cold, hard, ungiving kind of person, I would think.  Not really someone I would enjoy spending tons of time with -- just saying.  


She is saying, I think, that the difference is that when one encounters God in a meaningful way, the change that can happen is always meaningful and good and positive. 


This is contrasted to the change that can happen when we are faced with notGod (evil)  -- that change may or may not be  meaningful, good and positive. It might -- or it might not. 


God -- it is.
notGod -- unknown.


But change -- it's the only constant.  


Hoo, ha, ha,  hoooooo!!!! Tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor!!!!!

*Diana Butler Bass, Spirituality for the Rest of Us.