Learning the Lessons of the Past
Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
May 13, 2007
Each day we make decisions that affect our present and future. Too often we're driven by the needs of the moment, but the future must be part of the equation. The short term must be balanced by the long term. For if we don't consider the consequences of today's decisions, our future may have tragic and unintended consequences.
Consider the war in Iraq. The planners didn't seem to take into consideration a history of conflict and instability. They didn't pay attention to religious, ethnic and cultural differences. Now, our soldiers pay the price. Then there's the national debt - not to mention our own personal debts. Seeking to gratify today's wants we've chosen to pass on the bill to our children and grandchildren. This debt, which multiplies daily, has grown so large that there's simply no way to pay it off. Then there are our environmental and energy policies. Yes, taking care of business today apparently trumps the needs of future generations.
As we look into the future, there's wisdom to be found in the past. Now, I have no interest in pursuing some golden age of American history, for such a thing never existed. That being said, there's wisdom to be had from our past, if we're willing to listen to the sage advice of our elders.
The word “tradition” can be easily dismissed as defining ideas that are old hat and passé. That's unfortunate, because tradition is the accumulated wisdom passed on to us by those who have forged the trail we now tread. Tradition provides an anchor and a foundation for the present and for the future. This is why there's truth to be found in that adage of George Santayana that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat its errors.” It's not inevitable, but avoiding making these mistakes requires sound judgment.
As someone interested in both politics and religion, I've discovered that both religion and politics are dependent on tradition. Politically, America looks back to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as its historical touchstone, even as Christians and Jews look to the Bible and Muslims to the Koran. We needn't read the Constitution, the Bible or the Koran flatly and uncritically, as if they have no historical context of their own. We can read them with an eye to present concerns and considerations and still be true to their purpose.
It's a given that our founding national documents are the product of fallible human beings - privileged white men of mostly English descent - and yet we often read them with a sacred literalism that rivals any uncritical reading of religious scriptures. This obeisance often precludes any form of interpretation that would adjust application to present circumstances. But, like the Bible, our founding documents have a context and a history. They must be read carefully and with a keen eye, if they're to be the anchor we need in times of crisis. So, when read with a critical eye and a hopeful spirit, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are living documents that offer important guidance to modern Americans, reminding us that we're a people born in freedom and called to defend that freedom.
As a Christian, I do much the same thing when I read the Bible. Scripture, especially the gospels that tell the stories of Jesus, is my founding document. Like our founding national documents, it must be read in a way that takes into account the history of interpretation and application. In judicial circles we call that precedent, but in church we call it Tradition.
Tradition is the record of how we have lived out the teachings of these sacred documents. It's a record of interpretation and application, both for good and for ill. The Christian scriptures possess great antiquity - in its newest parts it's nearly 19 centuries old. Much water has run under our bridges these past 19 centuries, and yet when properly and faithfully read, we believe that the voice of God can be heard speaking from these pages.
We needn't be beholden to the past because not everything from that past is good and true. Slavery, Jim Crow, the Trail of Tears and Manzanar are part of our national tradition. But so is the granting of freedom of speech and religion. By passing on the stories, hopefully we won't forget and repeat the errors of our ancestors. And as we learn from them, may we realize the importance of considering how our decisions today impact the lives of those who will come after us.
Lompoc Record
May 13, 2007
Each day we make decisions that affect our present and future. Too often we're driven by the needs of the moment, but the future must be part of the equation. The short term must be balanced by the long term. For if we don't consider the consequences of today's decisions, our future may have tragic and unintended consequences.
Consider the war in Iraq. The planners didn't seem to take into consideration a history of conflict and instability. They didn't pay attention to religious, ethnic and cultural differences. Now, our soldiers pay the price. Then there's the national debt - not to mention our own personal debts. Seeking to gratify today's wants we've chosen to pass on the bill to our children and grandchildren. This debt, which multiplies daily, has grown so large that there's simply no way to pay it off. Then there are our environmental and energy policies. Yes, taking care of business today apparently trumps the needs of future generations.
As we look into the future, there's wisdom to be found in the past. Now, I have no interest in pursuing some golden age of American history, for such a thing never existed. That being said, there's wisdom to be had from our past, if we're willing to listen to the sage advice of our elders.
The word “tradition” can be easily dismissed as defining ideas that are old hat and passé. That's unfortunate, because tradition is the accumulated wisdom passed on to us by those who have forged the trail we now tread. Tradition provides an anchor and a foundation for the present and for the future. This is why there's truth to be found in that adage of George Santayana that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat its errors.” It's not inevitable, but avoiding making these mistakes requires sound judgment.
As someone interested in both politics and religion, I've discovered that both religion and politics are dependent on tradition. Politically, America looks back to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as its historical touchstone, even as Christians and Jews look to the Bible and Muslims to the Koran. We needn't read the Constitution, the Bible or the Koran flatly and uncritically, as if they have no historical context of their own. We can read them with an eye to present concerns and considerations and still be true to their purpose.
It's a given that our founding national documents are the product of fallible human beings - privileged white men of mostly English descent - and yet we often read them with a sacred literalism that rivals any uncritical reading of religious scriptures. This obeisance often precludes any form of interpretation that would adjust application to present circumstances. But, like the Bible, our founding documents have a context and a history. They must be read carefully and with a keen eye, if they're to be the anchor we need in times of crisis. So, when read with a critical eye and a hopeful spirit, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are living documents that offer important guidance to modern Americans, reminding us that we're a people born in freedom and called to defend that freedom.
As a Christian, I do much the same thing when I read the Bible. Scripture, especially the gospels that tell the stories of Jesus, is my founding document. Like our founding national documents, it must be read in a way that takes into account the history of interpretation and application. In judicial circles we call that precedent, but in church we call it Tradition.
Tradition is the record of how we have lived out the teachings of these sacred documents. It's a record of interpretation and application, both for good and for ill. The Christian scriptures possess great antiquity - in its newest parts it's nearly 19 centuries old. Much water has run under our bridges these past 19 centuries, and yet when properly and faithfully read, we believe that the voice of God can be heard speaking from these pages.
We needn't be beholden to the past because not everything from that past is good and true. Slavery, Jim Crow, the Trail of Tears and Manzanar are part of our national tradition. But so is the granting of freedom of speech and religion. By passing on the stories, hopefully we won't forget and repeat the errors of our ancestors. And as we learn from them, may we realize the importance of considering how our decisions today impact the lives of those who will come after us.
Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). He blogs at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com and can be contacted at lompocdisciples@impulse.net or First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc CA 93438.May 13, 2007
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