The Internet is full of pictures of happy groups of people posing for the camera. Trinity’s Internet feed is no exception, especially now as we celebrate #community. But there’s more to #community, and here’s one of those stories.
I visited the other day with one of Trinity’s homebound members, someone who once attended basically everything at church, but now rarely leaves her house. As we received communion, she offered a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving for “all the memories,” and that got me thinking.
Looking at life from her perspective, giving thanks for memories might seem sad but also natural–the good times really are in the past. But it doesn’t seem like much to celebrate. Looking backwards is dangerous–after all, look at what happened to Lot’s wife! Doesn’t celebrating the past just keep us there?
In fact, looking backwards is not usually a biblical problem. Lot’s wife notwithstanding, God’s people are encouraged to look back in order to remember who they are. From the festivals of the Old Testament to Christ’s words creating the Eucharist, God’s people rely on their memories of God’s acts in the past in order to be able to recognize and pray for God’s action in the present. Without a memory, God’s people are no people. Without a shared past, there can be no #community.
But even in the Bible, memories can be problematic. The Hebrews wandering in the desert created a selective memory of their time as slaves, clamoring to go back to Egypt every time the present challenges became too much. Misunderstandings surround Jesus’ ministry, primarily because the people are holding on to a nostalgic recollection of the days of King David. What was so great about David? Longing for the days of independence, the people conveniently forgot the details recorded in scripture, details of endless war, political instability and growing taxation that would have made life for ordinary people in David’s day less than paradise. It’s for this reason that Isaiah, among other prophets, calls on the people to forget the past and look for God’s new thing (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Isaiah’s right: God’s people need a clean break and a fresh start. There is so much about the past that holds us back! As modern people, we know that well. It’s the new, the modern, that promises success! Americans know this better than most, and it’s a characteristic that has served well to keep us out in front. Never mind the wisdom of our ancestors–we know better now!
So which is it–does the past anchor us in identity, or hold us back from embracing the future? The Christian Church tries to have it both ways. A church like ours in particular is pulled in two directions–on the one hand holding on tight to tradition while with the other we grab new ways of understanding. Without a past, #community quickly becomes a clique of cool religious people, but without a future #community can be equally exclusive.
As we celebrate community, what do we remember? How do those memories shape who we are now? How have we moved beyond? Is that a good thing? How does the past connect with #community for you?