History as teacher . . .

As I drove my youngest to the beach last week to surprise her older sister who was enjoying the waves, sun and breeze with some family friends, I was completely shocked to see the words, “History is to be honored,” emblazoned under the Confederacy crest on a memorial on the roadside. In this case, I could not disagree more strongly. 

Certainly, much of our American history should be honored. We, as an American people have made numerous noble accomplishments over the course of our country’s existence. There is no room; however, to honor a specific history that enslaved other human beings, treated them with unspeakable injustices and cruelties, and viewed them as less than human, simply because they had the “wrong” amount of pigmentation in their skin. There is no honor in such behavior and beliefs.

All history should be remembered, but not all history should be honored. The Confederacy and American slavery should be remembered just like the Crusades and Holocaust . . . remembered so that we can learn from our past mistakes . . . remembered so that we may never allow ourselves to repeat certain evil horrors.

Conversely, our Hebrew predecessors in faith established festivals to remember and honor specific historical events. These were events of God’s deliverance, faithfulness and continued covenant with God’s children. These were events that celebrated God’s continued pursuit of God’s children, in spite of our times of waywardness. This is history that deserves to not only be remembered but celebrated and honored, because God continues to love and pursue a relationship with us.
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As Christians, may we be a people who prayerfully discern the difference between history that is honored to help us remember our past journey with God, specifically God’s work in our lives, and that draws us into a deeper relationship with Christ, as opposed to a history seemingly devoid of God, lest we forget that we are sinful people capable of great evil when we are divorced from relationship with our loving God.