(Jer 13:23) Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Most have seen or heard the saga of decathlete, Bruce Jenner, when he announced that he is now a woman. This Olympic gold medalist has or is going through medical procedures to change his body into that of a woman – hormonal therapy, breast implants, and etc. He claims that God thought it would be his cross or suffering to place him (a woman) in a man’s body; and now through the scientific community and know-how he is changing that situation.
The secular media hail him as a hero and others mock him, but if all were honest they would emphasize with him. Jenner is trying to remedy what all humans have experienced in life – dissatisfaction with who they are or have been.
The Scripture from Jeremiah asks a question about the Ethiopian changing his skin color or a leopard changing his spots – in essence changing who they are – and being unable to do this small matter as much as they can (on their own) live a righteous life when they are evil from the core.
Humans, like Jenner, are uncomfortable with who they are and burdened with their past actions and relationships. That is all part of being fallen human beings, ruined by original sin and its effects on us. At the deepest level, Jenner is confused about the same thing that all of fallen mankind is confused about and the radical change he is or has pursued models the change that all pursue in order to get some kind of relief or transformation that even being an Olympic Gold Medalist could not do.
People seek some kind of decisive break with their former self, some decisive point of departure into a new life. People become increasingly in despair and burdened over who they are and as they go through life they become increasingly confused and frustrated with their record of failure. So it is no surprise when this Olympic Gold Medalist, whose athletic success and celebrity status could not address the deep confusion and failure he was experiencing – three failed marriages – and he is looking for a new life, a break from his past failures.
Not too many years ago this type of transformation would not have been possible for anyone; therefore, many sought that new life in drugs – the hippie culture of the 60s as they used LSD to go on trips of supposed Euphoria, or they smoked pot or took other drugs to escape their own reality in order to enter a transformed life. People still seek that new life through the sexual revolution, joining with gangs, divorce and re-marriage, extramarital affairs, eastern meditation, and etc. The change of gender s a radical change and one Jenner hopes will fill the longing he has been experiencing.
Christian doctrine and belief affirms the discontentment people feel at its deepest level and diagnoses it as the condition of fallen humanity. But it does not stop with just the diagnosis; it offers the remedy – a new life in Christ. As man has the fallen nature from Adam – “For as in Adam all die,” -- now we can have a new life in Christ – “even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The Bible tells us that – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:” -- this is what Jenner and countless others are and have been looking for through the years and they will continue in their confusion and discontent until they find Christ.
Jenner told Diane Sawyer that he now lives with the intrigue of seeing how his story will end. If he reflects honestly on his situation, he will admit that this “new life” will not satisfy the confusion of his heart nor stem the discontent with his past failures. Hopefully, he will find the life changing experience of an encounter with the One Who specializes in making things new – Jesus Christ.