History

To understand the life of Jesus, I must first give you some background history, events that occurred when Herod ruled Judea for the Roman Empire. Zacharias was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem those days as his fathers had before him. He was a member of the priestly division of Abijah (a grandson of Aaron who innovated temple practices), and his wife, Elizabeth, was of the priestly lineage of Aaron, Moses’ brother.                                      Luke 1:5 (The Voice Translation)

You, my dear readers, know my love of history. In Luke’s gospel he found it important to give some historical context so that his readers may better know Jesus. I think national histories are also understood better in true context. Today I look at how knowledge of history can influence our future.

In a sequel to his best-selling book the Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell discusses the Jewish Holocaust, among other topics. His latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, states that the 1978 NBC miniseries, (Holocaust), became a tipping point for renewed discussion of the Holocaust’s horrors.

Many of us remember that miniseries and its impact. More Holocaust museums opened after that series than ever before. More significantly, the series, when aired in West Germany, sparked a renewed interest in exploration of the dreaded atrocities of the era. Many young Germans saw for the first time a lengthy discussion of the Holocaust and its devastation.  

We tend to set aside many painful historical facts and we replace them with cultural myths. Take for example our own history of Thanksgiving, which has turned into a heartwarming story of Pilgrims and Indians sharing a feast around a large table. The real story was not quite so simple or serene, but cultural myths catch our attention and tend to color or even replace actual historical facts.

We all like a narrative to explain our past. Civilization is replete with such stories, and some of our great literature is based around origin stories and comfortable narratives. A courageous dive into history is important in order to clarify facts. Every nation has bold sagas and uplifting stories of its heritage, and people groups are naturally proud of their origin stories. However, an objective look at history is necessary to gain perspective and guidance for the future.  

We always need to remember that our proud history in the United States is also filled with horror stories from those nations and peoples that we shoved aside or even devastated in our collective belief in Manifest Destiny. Good histories delve into all aspects of history- some of which we love, and some of which we overlook.

So, actual love of country entails an objective look at its history in order to improve its future.

Indeed, the truth of our origins sets us free to make a better future.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to look honestly at our history in order to protect the future, Amen