What is my experience of change, and how do I understand if change is real? Am I able to make change happen? For the teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes, change may seem to happen in external events, but change is an illusion. “Even the things of which we say, ‘See this is new!’ have already existed in the ages that preceded us.”  

Herod Antipas responds to “the news” about Jesus and feels perplexed. Who is Jesus? A rival? Herod is the embodiment of a secular hedonist—the only thing that matters is securing his advantage today, and maintaining it. John couldn’t be alive and resurrected because Herod had beheaded him and ended John’s power to effect change. Herod, godless, is still curious. In this short passage, Luke contrasts the openness of believers in Jesus. For them, Jesus is present in stories of healing, parables, missioning, and deeds of compassion. Herod’s “curiosity” is a reference to his empty spirit and imagination. The readers of Luke have already found the longings of their heart assuaged in the narrative about Jesus’ mission—a mission that continues to change hearts even today.  

The experience of change for believers in God is reflected in the psalmist’s plea: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” For the psalmist, it is the heart that changes. We can change by becoming more compassionate, patient, and peaceful; more inviting, welcoming, and grateful. Attentive to God, we can “number our days” more rightly, dropping our numbering of past hurts and instead counting the blessings we have received, opening our minds to what we don’t yet know. In our own kindness and compassion, we recognize that this is the way God is. Acting as God does, we gain wisdom of heart. We change.