“Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?,’then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”
(rf. Josh. 4:6–7 NASB)
As I am writing this article, there is an ongoing and growing movement within the United States (and around the world) to tear down or remove long-standing statues and monuments of great historical significance. Those in the sights of protestors are usually representations of men who were either slaveholders themselves or were somehow connected with the practice through their affiliation with the American Civil War. In other countries, the focus of attention has been on those historical figures who have in some respect been a part of the same efforts or actions within the confines of their own people or realm.
Indeed, such practices as slavery and the beliefs in the extremist views of white supremacy are totally antithetical to the Christian faith and are unworthy to be held by those who trust and follow Jesus. Even the Apostle Paul, when interceding on behalf of the runaway slave, Onesimus, encouraged his owner to treat Onesimus with compassion, love and forgiveness as one would treat a fellow brother in Christ (which Onesimus was because of Paul’s sharing of the Gospel with him) (rf. Philemon 10-25).
In thinking and acting with regard to the present conflicts and the pursuit to destroy such monuments, we must not enter into judging the past on the values of the present. Just as things changed from the past to the present, things which used to be at least tolerated if not accepted have become things to be abhorred and repudiated, so we must remember that the present will inevitably become the past as we move into the future. Generations to come will undoubtedly look upon some of the beliefs and actions taking place now and do so with revulsion and disregard. The present never continues into the present. Change for good or ill is always the case for individuals, no doubt, but also for nations and civilizations.
Nor can we see the value of trying to eradicate the past by removing or destroying historical markers. They were designed as a memorial to an individual or group whose actions, attitudes or personal contributions changed the course of our people. Most of these acted within the bounds of their own historical context. We may not agree with all that they did or all that they believed, but their influence made a difference as noted by the existence of said monuments.
Interestingly enough, God views the use of monuments or “memorials” with a great deal of approval and encouragement. In the passage quoted above, it must be seen that God knew His people would require a physical reminder of the great things He had accomplished on their behalf. Thus, for the generations to come, when asked about the reality of God and His actions for His people, they could point to “memorials” as a testimony of God’s direct intervention into their lives for the better. There was tremendous benefit in having historical edifices that brought back to memory the blessings and actions of the past.
A people who allow their history to be removed and discarded are on a short path to total destruction from within. As stated by George Santayana, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”, so will our nation continue to suffer if our history is destroyed before our eyes. Monuments and “memorials” must remain in place in order for us as a people to learn from our past as did God’s people in Joshua’s time. May the present effort come to naught before permanent damage to our nation is done.
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