Horizons: Summer 2022

“I want it to be the same and I want it to be different,” sobbed a child. A balloon artist had just twisted a few pink balloons into a dolphin for one child and asked the next child if they wanted a dolphin or something else. The child’s weeping and Gordian knot answer halted the playful chatter of a few moments ago. The artist’s eyes darted from the sobbing child, to the child’s sibling, to the adult with them.

I’ve long forgotten many details of the balloon animal conundrum, but “I want it to be the same and I want it to be different” has come to mind at many pivotal moments of change.

Change can be difficult for a multitude of reasons—perhaps it’s unwanted, unnecessary or sudden change. Perhaps we’ve just achieved a kind of balance with the way things were, and are faced with having to recalibrate again. Perhaps we’re worn out by the truth of the axiom “The only thing that never changes is that everything changes”—and that includes us. We’re constantly growing and changing, as is the world around us.

In this issue, writers and artists share pivotal moments of growth and change—sending children to school, recognizing a gap in support for a  particular community, moving, learning, sharing and more. You’ll learn how a mission for children in Romania used their skills and network to offer support to Ukrainian refugees. You’ll find out why two PW groups cautiously returned to in-person meetings, eager to stretch their engagement and build community. You’ll learn about ways to support siblings in Christ who are feeling alone after a difficult two years.

Through these stories and images—whether of change sought out or forced change—may you draw strength from the nudges of the Holy Spirit, the bold witness of Jesus Christ and the enduring love of God.