Monuments, Memorials, History and Life
By Carol Sewell, Guest Contributor
Have you ever known someone who is adopted and has no information regarding their family bloodline/history? This can create a big void in a person’s life. There are important things in their bloodline that due to their birth and adoption they have no way of knowing unless they discover that information. Some of these items are life and death information that would help them navigate health issues as they age. Knowing about these things, they can avoid the pitfalls that could physically harm them or cause early death. They need to know their personal history.
“Memorials are a way of marking something significant that happened in our personal history and in the life of a nation.”
This is just an example of why personal, national and world history is important. It is so important that the Bible reminds us from Genesis through Revelation to remember and memorialize important life impacting events. In Joshua 4:5-7, God instructs Joshua to tell the twelve leaders to cross over the Jordan ahead of the Ark and to each pick a large stone from the Jordan river to carry to the other side. They were then to build a memorial pillar/altar as a reminder of what the Lord did for them that day. When their children’s children inquire about this memorial, they were to tell of this miraculous event.
The above scripture provides a pattern repeated throughout the Bible. God knew if they were to forget His commands, law, and miracles then each generation would be doomed to repeat the same mistakes. History provides a roadmap to understand how the tragedies and blessings of each generation have occurred. Therefore, we need to know and understand our history and the creator of life.
Unfortunately, we have forgotten our history as a nation here in America and been led to believe a negative false narrative. As a result, many think our knowledge of history is unimportant and irrelevant. However, if life is lived in the void of history, it is hard to bring context to daily events in our individual lives and in the life of our nation.
There are many monuments and memorials in America that are important markers of moments in our nation’s history. These mark both good and bad incidents, but they help us remember. What happens when we remember? Remembering causes us to go back and recollect past historical incidents. This is not too difficult if it simply involves our personal history. However, for the last forty years American history has been slowly rewritten to reflect a one-sided view of history which is not balanced and true. Today, many colleges and universities do not even teach American history. This is tragic for our nation.
We cannot remember points in history if they have been eliminated from our textbooks. Therefore, those who love America have a duty to make sure that the truth of our history is passed on to the next generation. What we are seeing right now, witnessing the defacing and destruction of many of our monuments is evidence that there are young people who are ignorant of America’s history. It is sad and does not bode well for the future of a free America.
When a people forget who they are as a nation and how this nation came to be, then the God-given liberty upon which America was built is taken for granted. The generations who came before were charged with never forgetting and with teaching their children and grandchildren these truths. Those generations also lived through the Great Depression and great World Wars that taught self-sacrifice, the value of liberty and the God who answers prayer. They learned to trust in God, not financial systems or the government.
Most of us have been on family vacations where historic places were visited. Viewing these memorials and monuments provides great teaching moments for families. They can, when presented in the right way, peak a child’s interest in history. These monuments create an atmosphere to discuss historical events in context of the time they occurred. This type of experiential learning promotes love of country and true patriotism and appreciation. It can impress children with the understanding of what their ancestors have fought so hard to protect - Liberty.
In the Old Testament, God continually reminds the Israelites to “remember the Lord your God” and his law, his miracles, etc.
In the New Testament the writers constantly instruct to “remember the words of Jesus”.
What is it we are to remember?
We are to remember that God’s principles and ways are the best and most successful paths for true liberty and life.
The bottom line is this - if we do not know our nation’s rich and beautiful history, then we need to learn it. God gave parents the responsibility to teach their children. Therefore, we are to pass this history – the good and the bad - on to our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
It is critical for our families, our communities, and our nation in the days to come. We cannot forget.
Carol Sewell is the author of What Were They Thinking – On Truth, Liberty & Legacy which gives readers everything they need to know regarding America’s founding and how our system works. Carol and her husband live in Plano, TX close enough to attend their three grandsons sporting events. You can contact Carol at info@g2g.org.
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