02-06-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 6, 2025
It is Black History Month, and I will share with you that as a white guy, about as white as they come, I love Black History Month. I have never felt threatened by Black History Month, and I sure have never felt the need to ask, “When is White History Month?” I’m more curious than I am insecure, and there is so much I do not know about history that continues to impact the present. People can deny it, but it does. The Jewish community has an annual time of remembrance for the years spent as slaves in Egypt. It is called Passover. Though not a month long, it is seven (or eight) days long, and it is a time of teaching the past because the past will forever remain relevant as long as human beings are involved. We have an absolutely embarrassing record when it comes to repeating history, especially the really bad stuff. In Deuteronomy 5:15, we read:

Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That’s why the Lord your God commands you to keep the Sabbath day.

And in Leviticus 19:34, we find these words:

Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

And the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6, we read:

These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol. Write them on your house’s doorframes and on your city’s gates… Don’t forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Sadly, Israel fell into the trap of forgetting its past, and even under Solomon, they built the Temple in Jerusalem using slave labor. As I have often asked, how is it that a people who were liberated from slavery by the love of God could build a temple to honor that God using slaves? The simple answer: They forgot! And part of the ministry of Jesus was to embody the central attributes of God’s journey with Israel, including the notion of being blessed for the sole purpose of being a blessing to the world (words to Abraham and Sarah). Jesus took that idea and lived it to the fullest extent possible, and then he invited his disciples to do likewise, including taking up the cross and following him. 

Of course, I do not limit my learning to one month or one topic, but especially in areas that are outside of my experience, I try my best to learn and understand. 

God of the past, present, and future, I continue to find it easier to live in the present and to be mindful of the future as I learn about the past. It’s not always good history, but being honest about the ugliest moments in the past allows for the true gems of goodness and grace to be seen more clearly. And there, we find strength and inspiration for living in the present with some of that goodness and grace. I do not wish to repeat the worst of the past, yet I will most definitely fall into the same traps if I have not learned how those traps were built the first time around. Thanks for your help, O Lord. Amen.