Those that do not learn from History...

I am not sure at what point in school they stopped calling my favorite class "Social Studies" started calling it "History" but those classes were the most fascinating to me if only at the time for their "wars and rumors of wars" qualities. Yet whether you call it History or Social Studies (and I'm sure an academic wonk could set me straight about the nuance here) the point of studying it is best summed up with that almost cliche sentence "Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." That doesn't just mean taking the class over again. Looking at history is to look at how human beings get along with one another in the world and gives us lessons that I heard the other day are better learned "from parchment instead of pavement." In other words we can learn from books a lot more painlessly sometimes than we can from experience.
Those lessons do not have to be lessons of "doom" by the negative examples of the mistakes of others either. They can also be positive. I am reading Nehemiah right now in preparation for our new Thursday Bible Study (at the ROCK 7:15 PM) and just in the first chapter, I am finding insight into the positive example of this man who found his nation in shambles and determined that he would do more than feel sorry for their mess. He put his distress and compassion into action.
As I prepare too, for this Sunday's annual Meeting and "Celebration of Ministries", I am finding that our church has a place in History, past, present, and future, that we must examine, give thanks for, and step forward in prayer and action to our moments calls to compassion and mission.
Open Nehemiah, or anywhere else in the Bible and look for what the events and actions of people in the past, and their responses to God who is eternal, can teach you about your life, and our life together, today.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark