Auld Lang Syne?

by Pete Garcia

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

It would seem rather conflicting and contradictory, that as Christians, we should look so fondly back upon our past. At least personally, I often think back to my biggest mistakes and wish fruitlessly that I should be given another chance to right the wrongs, and make the necessary course corrections with my newfound 20/20 hindsight. But that is our plight as humans, our past locked in the history vault and our future unknown...and all we ever have is the present.

I say that it’s conflicting for a Christian only because we know where we came from, and the people we were before we came to Christ. (Jer 17:9, Col 2:13) Some shutter more than others, but still, we often reminisce about the ‘way things were’, either on a personal level, or just in society in general. Maybe we miss our naivetés or our innocence, which in this increasingly cold and calculating day, I agree is missed. There is that longing for better days because we see the rotting effects widespread sin has on a culture. It taints everything it touches, so that nothing can be enjoyed for more than a moment before something or someone else comes along and ruins it.

Maybe it’s only that things were always this bad, and we over-romanticize the past into being something that it never was...which with much time passed, becomes all the easier to do as we tend to leave out all the bad parts. I think of King Solomon, and all his wisdom, became what we would call today, the ultimate pessimist (aka-realist):

What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?
One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.
The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again.

All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:3-9

All things in our life, whether they be good or bad, are there purposefully to shape and mold us into what Christ has called us to be. What Joseph’s brothers meant for bad towards him, God meant for life for his people. What the Pharisees meant for evil towards Christ, God meant for salvation all mankind.We can’t comprehend all the workings within the mind of God other than to say, I don’t understand why some have more ‘shaping and molding’ than others, but God knows.

But I often find myself wishing I could go back and undo the knots of the ties that bind me, only to realize that those knots strengthen the cord upon which holds me together.Put another way, even the bad things and wretched relationships I’ve had to overcome, help define who I am today.

We look back fondly to the days when our leaders where Godly (at least as far as we knew) and there was a semblance of decency at our highest levels. We long for the days of yesteryear, thinking that if we could just elect the right people, that we as a society would somehow willingly turn the bow of our own societal Titanic just in time. Not to sound fatalistic, but if that is what God had deemed necessary (the saving of America), then I think He above all others could make that happen...but He hasn’t thus far despite our half-hearted efforts.

He is not interested in saving our nation, nor our traditions, or our economy. He is invested in the economy of the souls of men.And maybe what is necessary for this nation is to awaken out of the punch-drunk stupor that comes along with peace and prosperity that lull’s its citizens to sleep with. We need an iceberg and carelessly blind leaders to make the arrangement, and God will provide the lifeboats for those that seek Him.

Our hope is not in our past but in our future. Our hope is not tied to a political party, but in a King. Our hope is not even found on this earth, but in a promise by Christ Himself that He would come back and take us to be where He is...forever! (John 14:1-3)It is the Blessed Hope in which the Apostle Paul encourages the pastor Titus (and by extension us) to hold loosely to this life, and to long for the real one to come:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-13

May our theme this year be Maranatha!!!