American culture has become so current, so edgy, that a whole generation of teen-agers seems to believe the most important things in all of history happened about fifteen minutes ago! It's not their fault. Schools seldom teach history anymore. And whenever history is the subject of popular TV and movies, it comes off so tarted up and politically correct that our forefathers seem more superficial and irrelevant than we are.
And yet, the poster for a current motion picture offers this insight: "Life is understood only by looking backwards. It must be lived looking forward." Isn't that the truth? Faith and courage are vital in living life by looking ahead. But history is essential if we are ever to look back and understand.
The December issue of National Geographic features a cover story titled "The Real King Herod." For centuries we have marveled at the ruins of architectural wonders he accomplished. Last year, archaeologists finally unearthed his tomb which had been lost from sight for centuries. For the overwhelming majority of men of women, Herod would be completely unknown were he not mentioned in the Bible.
Herod's architecture sheds light on the delusions of grandeur with which he entertained himself. No wonder he felt threatened by reports that a new king had been born in Bethlehem! He attempted to deceive traveling magi in hopes of gaining intelligence on the child's location and having him killed. When the wise men were tipped off to his evil intentions and went home another way, Herod ordered that baby boys in Bethlehem who were less than two years old should be murdered. His soldiers carried out his orders. The parents of the Christ child took him into hiding in Egypt after being warned by a divine messenger.
Ironically, Christ's family didn't have to remain in Egypt long. King Herod died a long, drawn out, miserable death with a disease so complex that the symptoms baffle medical researchers even today. Even as he ordered the death of the infants, he was already infected and on his way down. The king who considered himself "the greatest," departed the Earth like that proverbial fist being pulled out of a bucket of water. His lavish grave was quickly forgotten, then neglected, finally vandalized and hidden.
Meanwhile, the stable where that feared Christ child was born has been memorialized with a cathedral! Millions of people flock to Bethlehem every Christmas to be near the spot where Jesus walked. The king who built monuments to himself is now remembered only as a footnote in the story of the King he tried unsuccessfully to destroy!
While you're boldy living life looking forward, take some time periodically to look back and gauge where you've been.
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