A Whirlwind History Lesson Mark 1:1-8
Delivered to Smith Chapel UMC on December 7, 2008
What I Didn't Say
History--I was a history major (among other things) in college. I love history, particularly US history. But I find almost any history to be interesting. When I was in Israel, one of the most fascinating parts of the trip was the history of that land. We stood in and on places that have been around for hundreds and even thousands of years. I was in awe.
One of our major problems today, in my view, is that we have lost a sense of history. We only care about today. We don't care much about those who have gone before us, only about ourselves. We give little credence to what our ancestors and predecessors went through to put us where we are. We only care about where we think we're going.
This places us in a precarious position. That position is often stated in the proposition that, "If we don't understand the mistakes of the past, we're bound to repeat them." And repeat them we will...and often do.
The most fascinating history of all is the history recorded in the Bible. Because we downplay and even ignore it, we are doomed to repeat the gravest errors in the history of humanity. The ramifications of that ignorance are astounding. Think about it. It is sobering indeed.
