Remembering, for our future

"Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one. Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant . . ." - Isaiah 44:8,21

Dear Friends in Christ -

I could say that I like writing my Annual Report to the parish, but that would be a bald-faced prevarication. In other words, a lie. Writing anything is something of a struggle, but writing for the recordbooks is an out-and-out slog.

So why do I put nose-to-grindstone and sit down to do it? Because it's a requirement of the job. Why do I always end up writing more than required? Because I always learn stuff as I do it. The past unfolds its secrets as I clickity-click play-it-again-Sam on my computer keyboard. "Ah, yes; I had forgotten about that." OR "Oh"-sigh-"surely we can do that differently next time." OR "Wow! I hadn't realized that small thing had such an impact!"

Over and over the prophets of the Old Testament call us to remember. The word remember literally means 'to reassmble' or 'to put back together again.' Remembering puts God back in God's place, not only in our past, but in our present. Remembering puts us in our place, too; it humbles us and realigns us for the present, as well as for the future.

Today is a day that our entire country has set aside for remembering, but I wonder how many of us actually took time to remember that
. . . less than 40 years ago, schools were still segregated.
. . . less than 45 years ago, redlining (boxing black people out of certain neighborhoods) was still legal.
. . . less than 45 years ago, interracial marriage was illegal.
Because of the passion for justice held by Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, all of these things have changed in our lifetimes!

As we remember the noble things done by King and other God-fearing, Jesus-following folks who have gone before us, let us leave our own marks in the pages of history by recommitting to those things which invite 'justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.'

Faithfully,
Janet+