History

History

I was never good at it in high school. All those dates wouldn’t stay in my head. It made no difference if it was American history or any other kind of history. I was at a point in my life where the only important date was graduation. You get an idea of where my head was sixty years ago.

Not sure how I started paying attention to history. Maybe it was in seminary when I was introduced to church history. The focus was not so much on memorizing dates. My professor had a way of making ancient events come alive in a way that applied to life. Little did I know that I would be making a little church history myself.

What brought this to mind is the social and political events of today. One has to be living on another planet not to realize that history is in the making. Cultural, economic, and political happenings are right in front of us. What occurred in one major city had a ripple effect around the world. Riots, protests and lawlessness are daily occurrences. Without the perspective of history, one would think Armageddon was near.

That’s why history is so important. Having a grasp of what happened in the past gives the opportunity to learn from mistakes. It helps us understand the reasons people behave the way they do. History gives perspective that helps us discern what is really going on. Without it we are at the mercy of what’s happening now.

My eyes ran across this anonymous quote not long ago. I share it hoping it will bring focus to the times in which we live:

“History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, even better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It’s not yours to erase. It belongs to all of us!”