History

A student of history cannot see the present unchanged once fresh winds have swept through the landscape of the past. The influence of voices of bygone days can alter a perspective irrevocably. In an age of reading lit macbook screens and scrolling through internet pages on a personalized, silicon-protected iphone to research a quick question, it is amazing that the historical voices even have a chance. Perhaps our voices must be attuned to them, or our libraries simply need to prop their words up on plastic stands for easy check-out. Maybe if amazon features their works on a top one hundred list, citizens caught up in the craze of our facebook-addicted, consumerist, increasingly more superficial culture can expand their horizons. If only they realized how expansive those horizons could become.

This idea of being alert to the messages of the past is especially vital in faith. History enriches faith in ways immeasurable. Pick up Augustine's Confessions. Understand how heartfelt true faith can be, how poignant, what struggle authentic conversion is for some. Scan The Rule of St. Benedict for ways to bring discipline to the Christian life, a life that accurately reflects the convictions of the religion. Learn about Macrina, John Chrysostom, and other iconographic figures with radical stories. Sit in silence with Celtic Christian poetry and wonder what kinds of natural beauty inspired the words.

Breathe in their stories. Ponder the insights. Cherish their wisdom and discern how these words speak into this time and place, how you might be different because of them.

This has lingered with me all week. Gregory of Nazianzus said: "A man must himself be cleansed before cleansing others; himself become wise, that he may make others wise; become light, and then give light; draw near to God, and so bring others near." Before I desire to shine the light of the gospel to others, first, I must be educated on what this gospel means to me. To Augustine. To Martin Luther. To the church fathers, mothers, monks, abbots, theologians, founders. To us all.

When the sun casts its warm rays through stained glass into a dimly lit chapel, onto your upraised face, and you feel it through closed eyelids and suddenly open eager eyes to a brilliant pane of radiant art...

that is what history does for our faith.