On being caught up -- when one is not paying attention

I've been reading this totally non-threatening soft-cover called, Eccentric Circles, by Rebecca Lickiss and published by Ace in 2001. I've been reading a lot of non-threatening stuff this last year. Anyway while tripping through the sentences I was struck by this:

Times change, and those that can't keep up will be swept away.

It is not the first time I have read that sentence, or one of exact sentiment. What hit me as new was the next two lines:

He looked in dismay at the table. "I forgot the tablecloth."

Now, I'm not suggesting that this is a profound experience. But I was brought up short by it. I mean, is this guy going to be swept away because he forgot the tablecloth?

Times change, and those that can't keep up will be swept away. Such a practical and pragmatic observation. And in that sense probably true, or true enough.

But it is decidedly not true! OR, I very greatly want it to be untrue!

Right here, in this little narrative is where I wanted to plant some tight little quote from the liturgy, a pithy passage of scripture, or the butt end of one of the psalms that would knock the world over on its ass.

There are quotes like that. Perhaps the best is the shortest:

Jesus wept.

What I was able to find readily under hand, was more like the following:

from Psalm 136:

The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
for his love endures for ever.
He brought Israel out from their midst,
for his love endures for ever;
arm outstretched, with power in his hand,
for his love endures for ever.

He divided the Red Sea in two,
for his love endures for ever;
he made Israel pass through the midst,
for his love endures for ever;
he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea,
for his love endures for ever.

Through the desert his people he led,
for his love endures for ever.
Nations in their greatness he struck,
for his love endures for ever.
Kings in their splendor he slew,
for his love endures for ever.

Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his love endures for ever;
and Og, the king of Bashan,
for his love endures for ever.

He let Israel inherit their land,
for his love endures for ever.
On his servant their land he bestowed,
for his love endures for ever.
He remembered us in our distress,
for his love endures for ever.

I would have loved to have been able to use (from Ps. 136):

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
and rescued us from our foes,
his steadfast love endures for ever.

See, no one gets swept away! God, himself remembers every body, every thing! His steadfast love endures forever, he rescues us from all our foes. . . But how could I use that verse, considering the rest of the psalm. How often have I chanted:

Nations in their greatness he struck,
Kings in their splendor he slew.
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, the king of Bashan,
for his love endures for ever.
He let Israel inherit their land.
On his servant their land he bestowed,
for his love endures for ever.

For His love endures forever, but times seem to change, and there are those who seem to get swept away! What is our reliable answer to that? Certainly our answer lies somewhere in that short verse; Jesus wept. And also in the very short story from Matthew's Gospel (18:12):

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?