Parish magazine article August 2024
One of the challenges of our present age is our understanding of history. This August marks 90 years since the death of President Hindenburg and Adolf Hitler becoming dictator of Germany, which led to the events of the Second World War. 70 years ago Alexander Fleming received the Nobel prize for discovering Penicillin. 50 years ago in August 1974 Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States after the Watergate scandal. Each of these dates, we understand to be part of history but arguably, they all still influence our lives today.
Yet history is certainly more than remembering dates, places and names, although if you are a child in school it might seem it is all about the Tudors! The book ‘1066 and All That’ and the TV show ‘Horrible Histories’ take a sideways glance at British history and in a humorous way tried to make it both memorable and fun. Some historians write from the perspective of a neutral observer, others make no bones of the fact that history is inevitably political.
When we approach the Bible, we should recognise that it is written for a purpose just like history. When we look at the Old Testament, we find that it was written by numerous authors, who interpreted events through the perspective of faith, religion and even politics. The so-called history books like Kings and Chronicles are as much about God’s interaction with His people as they are about recording factual events. Although perhaps surprisingly for a religious text we find that on occasion it fits perfectly with the archaeological record, but even then, events are interpreted for an audience of faith. It certainly is not history, as we would now define because it is telling the story of salvation. It is history from the perspective of a people’s interaction with God.
I love history and I believe we should continually look back to learn from the past and this in turn helps us discern the future. It is only when we understand where we have come from that we can truly understand the present and future. The writer of Hebrews understood this as they lay out for the early church the whole of the history of salvation and God’s interaction with his people.
“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ... These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:32-40
History is never neutral, people will inevitably look back in years to come and interpret these days in ways we cannot imagine. The appointment of a new Prime Minister, the War in Ukraine or the violence between Hamas and Israel and countless other events, which are part of our everyday experience and appear to us normal, may well be reinterpreted by future generations through the cultural lens of a different time.
As Christians our anchor and fixed point is the cross - the death and resurrection of Jesus and we need to interpret the actions and activities of our time through this lens. We need to learn to see history, politics and culture through the eyes of faith and if we are Christians, we cannot pretend that we are neutral. Jesus accused the religious people of his time of failing in their responsibilities because whilst they understood the environment but missed the spiritual realities of life around them.
“He replied, ‘When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Matthew 16:2-3
So, whether you love history or prefer to think about the future make sure you know how to interpret the times.
The Venerable Derek Chedzey
Archdeacon of Hereford