Newton

Momentum.

Years ago in Physics class (and lab), I studied various 'laws.' One of them states that "a body in motion tends to stay in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest."

This is Newton's first law of motion - if you want to see the detailed version, here it is:

"Every body remains in a state of rest or uniform motion (constant velocity) unless it is acted upon by an external unbalanced force. This means that in the absence of a non-zero net force, the center of mass of a body either remains at rest, or moves at a constant speed in a straight line."

Newton did not discover this, it had been around for centuries, but he put it together and refined some of the formulas, so he is generally credited with being the father of modern physics.

I had to do countless hours of calculations based on f=ma, and we got into the differences in linear vs. angular momentum. I had more trouble with the algebra and trig than the concepts - for some reason I could totally understand and 'picture' all of these theories, and had no trouble expressing them in words or even pictures, but I had a lot of trouble working out the simple math of the formulas. But I digress.

A heavy object requires force to get it into motion from rest, and it will also require force to bring it back to rest. A simple practical example would be the amazing amount of power it takes to accelerate a jetliner from a standstill up to takeoff speed, and then the equally large amount of force to bring it back down from flying speed to a stop upon landing. The heavier the airplane, the larger the amount of force required - but also the faster the airplane is going, the more force it takes to stop it.

What I didn't expect was how much this applies to my life in a more philosophical sense. A person at rest requires a lot of force to get them into motion. A church at rest requires a lot of force to get them into motion. And 'rest' in this case can very much be equal to moving in a steady direction at a steady speed. Doing the same thing requires no real thought or effort once all the habits are developed.

But a person in motion tends to take quite a bit of force to bring them to a stop, or to change their direction, and I don't mean physically. Now, in classical physics it is a matter of mass versus force, which can tell you the amount of force needed, and Heavy vs. light, fast versus slow, more acceleration vs. a gradual change in speed, etc. But there is one variable missing in the physics which is very much present in the personal:

Time.

The longer a person (or church) has been doing something, the more force is required to bring it to a stop, or even change it's direction. Tradition, habit, comfort, and about a dozen other words all communicate that once we get in the habit of doing something, it is very hard to stop.

Unless we are acted upon by an outside force.

Lord - be the 'outside force' that I need, because I do desire to change.