Growing vs. Changing
Dec 16th, 2008 by ljkim
There’s a big difference between “growth” and “change” (even when we’re talking about good growth and good kinds of change). The baby trees that the city planted in front of my apartment building this summer will probably look different in a couple of years because they will *grow.* The house on the next block, on the other hand, that looks abandoned will probably look different once it gets a new owner because it will be *changed.* A young person may grow a few inches in height, but it’s growth, not a change of height. I guess it’s possible to also change one’s height (through surgery) like Ethan Hawke’s character in the movie Gattaca, but that’s really different from growing in height.
Some things just need to grow: an eight year old who’s kind of scrawny for her age doesn’t need cosmetic surgery, she needs to grow. Other things need to be changed: a bridge design that will crumble under the weight of trucks needs to be changed, it can’t be nurtured into becoming a stronger bridge… But bad things happen when we confuse the two.
Sometimes we need to grow, and other times we need to change… You can’t just “change” spiritually and become happy or holy or loving, it takes growth… And you can’t just grow bad priorities into good ones, they need to be changed. It’s a sad farmer who waters his tractor and tries to fix his crops.
[About the photo: David, who's grown many inches in the time I've known him, on his throne in the Columbia subway station ]
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