#KP30 Continuity - Old & New

With regards to things new and old, it is quite typical to find two main thought. Common among the younger generation, the thinking is "old is bad and new is good". On the other hand, among the older generation, "new is bad and old is good". They wish to return to the good old times.

• In Mat 13:52, ... Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The person who is skilled in the Kingdom of Heaven thinking is able to draw out the best of the things old and new.

The principle is about continuity & discernment- keeping the best from the past and continues to innovate for the future. Certain structures of the past that bring harms need to be changed so that improvement and advancement can be made with new innovations.

Biblical principles - the Kingdom principles do not change with time. We need the unchanging principles to handle the ever changing new world. Unchanging principles give us the confidence and the patterns and guides to handle the unknown and changing situations. While principles do not change, the applications can be changed for different situations.

Even for high technology, TRIZ has shown technology system evolution follow certain laws and patterns. Moore's law is still applicable after different generations of technological evolution - from vacuum tubes, to transistors, to VLSI, to ... see Kurweil's presentation on Ted.com.

Jesus' teaching on "New Wineskin for New Wine" is not about throwing away the pass, old-wine-skin, but about using the right container for the right content. It is about fit for use and not about discarding the old. Paul's exhortation about the "forgetting the past and strive towards the future goal" is not about throwing away all the past but about the throwing away the dead weights of the past sins and burden. On many instances, Paul told us to remember the testimonies of the past heroes and to mimic his behavior as he followed after Christ. It is all about discernment and not about discarding.

Remember then to keep and develop the treasures of the old and continue to innovate the new and to pave the way from old to the new world.

Next: Principle of Unity and Harmony