Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Clinging to the Past

The May 21, 1998 issue of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette contained an article in the Local section that caught both my attention and my ire. The article, "Grads urged not to wallow in nostalgia," reported on the speech that former Worcester mayor Jordan Levy gave to the graduating class of Mt. Wachusett Community College. The gist of the speech (if the T & G journalist had it right) was that the graduates should dream of the future rather than cling to the past. As the headline suggests, Mr. Levy painted the past in very negative terms and the usual rhetoric was out on parade: "People (to be pitied) cling to the past because it is safe and easy, because they are afraid of the future, etc. The graduates must not succumb to this, but must bring us into the future, blah, blah, blah!"

In short, this wasn't one of Mr. Levy's finest hours! At best the speech was clumsily worded and at worst it was another contribution to the unraveling of our society. Clumsily worded because Mr. Levy's talk came off sounding like a blast against everything past, and, to be fair, I don't think this was his intention. I imagine that he was trying to tell the graduates not to be satisfied with the successes of the past, but that they should boldly enter uncharted societal, technological, and medical waters in order to bring dividends to our planet. But the reported talk came off sounding like everything in the past was condemned. For once I would like to hear one of these "dream of the future, don't cling to the past" diatribes make a careful distinction between what in the past should not be clung to, and what should be.

"What's that you say? We should cling to certain things from the past? Such as?" Such as moral absolutes and religious teachings most of which are thousands of years old. Such as foundational literature and documents which put forth truths that form the bedrock of our nation (e.g., the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights). Such as societal and family traditions. When speaker after speaker attempts to fire the imaginations of our youth with "future only" talk, we should not be surprised to wake up one day and find that they've taken this fire and with it have burned all bridges behind them. Do we really want our graduates to cut themselves completely off from the past? Are we prepared for the consequences?

At the risk of sounding like one of the "poor wretches" that Mr. Levy is describing, I defiantly say: No one is going to shame me out of clinging to truth that was given in the past. I find it of great significance that when it comes to questions of Christian truth and morals, the New Testament points us to the past, not the future. In other words, when the question is raised as to what is truth and what is falsehood, the New Testament writers tell us to look to the faith that we already learned in the past:

• Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19-20a).
• I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them (Romans 16:17).
• But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:8-9).
• So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7).
• I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3).

I've underlined the key past tense phrases to emphasize the orientation to the past of these verses. Both Christ and the apostles instructed Christians to ground themselves in the doctrine that had already been given. Far from scolding their readers for clinging to the past, they encouraged it!

Yes, Christians work for the future with great zeal and gladness -- for thanks to Jesus' atoning death, their future is a glorious one! Yes, Christians also are to work and pray for breakthroughs in technology and science, for they are called to love their neighbor as themselves. But as they live in the present, and strive for the future, their faith is grounded in the past. I for one, celebrate the past, and thank God for it.

Februrary, 1999

© Dr. Richard P. Bucher