Everybody needs a change of scenery now and then. That’s what vacations, weekend getaways, and summer homes are all about. But God sometimes calls us to changes of scenery that also lead to changes of heart. Some time ago, an acquaintance was discerning whether she and her family should relocate to a different diocese. The diocese has the unusual combination of solidly Catholic schools with very low tuition. She had been homeschooling her many children. But some personal struggles and the special needs of one of her children were making that increasingly unmanageable.
We started talking about how prominent changes of scenery are in the Bible. With few exceptions, the relocations are acts of faith, steps out of the boat, that lead to deeper conversion. Even the involuntary relocations often bore good fruit. Right off the bat, Adam and Eve had to relocate from the bliss of Eden to the grind of earthly toil. Most unfortunate, but in God’s mercy, we have to trust that the resulting suffering helped them turn back to him. Adam and Eve discovered how love and work can recreate some hints of paradise even in this valley of tears. As Adam says of Eve in Mark Twain’s humorous but touching Excerpts from Adam’s Diary, “Wherever she was, there was Eden.”
The Flood forced Noah and his family to relocate, by means of their long, watery voyage, to a place where humanity could make a fresh start. Esau’s murderous rage against his deceitful brother Jacob forced the latter to flee to his uncle Laban’s farm (Gen 27-28). For decades he slaved for Laban in order to win his beloved and less-beloved wives, Rachel and Leah. But in the process, he became a new man, faithful to the Lord and devoted to his family.
Earlier, Abram’s voluntary change of scenery from Haran to Canaan was an act of faith that changed the world. He obediently relocated 900 miles, a city boy willing to spend the rest of his life as a nomad. He left behind his fathers’ gods to worship the one God. He became a man of generosity, giving the best land to his nephew Lot (Gen 13:8-10). A model of Eastern hospitality, he humbly served his angelic guests (Gen 18). His willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac at the Lord’s command made him our father in faith.
The title of the second book in the Bible, Exodus, literally means a change of scenery, a “going out”. The multitude that left Egypt wavered often. But they put their faith in the Lord and His servant Moses’ promise that risky freedom was better than complacent slavery. By the time they entered the Promised Land, their journey transformed the Hebrew people from an idolatrous, faithless crowd into a fearless, faithful warrior band. The timid whiners in the desert became the steadfast and courageous conquerors of Canaan.
Why is a change of scenery, when the Lord calls us to it, so powerful? First, it causes a fruitful disorientation. We don’t have our bearings, so we must cling more to Him. Our move from Milwaukee to Panama City in 2001 was not only a geographical, but a cultural move from North to South. I was also launching a private practice as part of an association of Christian therapists whom I barely knew. Mary was homeschooling Michael, so that she and he were getting to know a whole new group of other Christian homeschooling families. Before making solid connections with some wonderful friends there, we had to keep coming to the Lord, seeking His grace for the transition. The move 8 years later from Panama City to Omaha involved similar dynamics. Many couples we’ve met who’ve similarly relocated due to the Lord’s leading have told us of analogous graces.
Second, a change of scenery can shake out what matters from what doesn’t. When we stayed with Mary’s mother during her battle with ALS, we knew virtually no one in Janesville, Wisconsin. But we discovered that, as good as a large social network can be, having each other was enough. “Wherever two or more are gathered…” Jesus was with us. He sustained us during that difficult but beautiful year of caring for my mother-in-law. It was such a privilege to get to know so remarkable a woman so well as she prepared to depart this life.
Third – and this is mysterious – a change of scenery seems to free us to adopt a different mindset. This may partially result from the acts of faith that a God-initiated move involve. But it appears to have a psychological basis as well. Perhaps supporting each other through intimidating transitions has something to do with it. Our son Michael noticed how our move to Omaha transformed our marriage. “You two never fight any more!” Not that our marriage wasn’t good before. We certainly never physically fought, nor cussed at each other. But we experienced a new level of tranquility, joy, and security in our marriage after moving here.
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you”, the Lord told Abram (Gen 12:1). The call to “go” won’t always mean a literal change of scenery. But when the Lord calls us, and we respond in trust and faith, the fruit is great.
