The place was mostly abandoned and spooky. Wind whipped up dry leaves that danced around
the empty store fronts. Rows of dealer—not
shopper— cars filled the parking lot. We’d hoped to find a place to eat around
the mall, but most eateries were closed.
We saw up close the new face of suburban America.
On March 1 of this year, CNBC online pronounced, “The
retail apocalypse is alive and well this week with major chains… announcing
massive closures, totaling the death of more than 465 stores over the last 48
hours.” Ten years ago, only a few saw this massive change coming.
Online shopping from the comfort of your own home
is replacing the brick and mortar experience.
I do my share online, but still like a retail therapy trip to check out
the merchandise. Just as the mall replaced the downtown main street shopping
experience during the past fifty years, the future of retail is changing again
to meet consumer demands. The malls that
are thriving incorporate experiences, other than shopping, to attack
customers. Indoor put-put golf, bouncy
houses, carousels, pottery painting, and live theaters seem to be major
attractions. How do we handle the
changing times that are imposed on us by our society?
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of
Lent. As a Baptist type of Christian, I usually don’t give up anything for the forty days leading up to Easter. But, I feel it’s
an important time to reflect on the meaning of Easter and the Resurrection.
In New Testament times, life was about to change
drastically for the twelve men we call disciples and all the other followers of
the Teacher, who was called Jesus Christ. He tried in many ways to prepare them
for the upheaval that would affect their lives forever. Following Jesus was new and exciting as the
disciples saw Him perform miracles, heal the sick, and drive out demons. They envisioned a new kind of kingdom that
would overthrow the Roman Caesars and restore the power of King David’s empire.
They were shocked when Jesus began to predict His death and could not
comprehend the possibility of His resurrection.
Things were changing all around the disciples, and they didn’t see it
coming.
After Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection
from the dead, life would never be the same.
He would no longer walk with them in the flesh, but in the Spirit. His disciples
and followers ever since would be filled with God’s Spirit when accepting Jesus
as Savior and Lord. Lives and society
would be transformed by the good news of the Gospel.
Will there be malls in twenty years, or will all
shopping be done online? I still can’t
imagine buying a car online without kicking the tires. Only time will tell, but the huge change that
Jesus brought to this world will still be alive and well in the heart and minds
of His followers. Climate change proponents who predict that a weather apocalypse
will destroy the earth in twelve years must not be students of the Bible.
God plainly states in the Scriptures that He will
have the last word and the future of our planet is in His capable and loving
hands. We should open our eyes to the truth of God’s word and embrace each season of change.
