It could be the fact that my dad is a well educated history buff, or the fact that one of my mom’s nicknames is “Trivia Queen.” Whatever the reason, I’ve always enjoyed the past. History. Trivia. Old stuff. Older people. Stories about the past. Artifacts. I think that last one, artifacts, is what makes me enjoy things now–things that I know will last. I found a Briggs & Reiley suitcase online from a discount luggage seller for 80% off about a year and a half ago. I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t consult my wife, I didn’t check my bank account, I just bought it. Why? The first thought in my mind was, “I will give this suitcase to Clive when he goes to college, and it will remind him of where he has been, and where his parents have been and gone before him…it will remind him that he is a part of a family, even when he leaves his family, it will remind him that people know and love him…even if they are not there.” (Obviously I have high expectations for Clive’s observation skills…) I love stuff that is made with quality materials, designed to fulfill it’s purpose, and guaranteed to last longer than I will. If I EVER see one of these extra large monsters on sale

…I would probably have to apply for a new credit card, and then buy the bag. I love their slogan “Your kids will contest your will over this bag.” And, one they stole from Pasquale “Buy the best, cry once.” But, they understand that in making a bag that lasts, they have something that connects history, generations, and for some–godliness. How cool would it be to pass on a briefcase you used for 20 years in ministry to your son?

With the current generations love of throw away technology

(maximum life span of a cell phone-2 years; desktop computer-3.5 years; laptop-3 years; car-5ish years; shoes-1 or 2 seasons; ink pens-who cares; refrigerators-5-7 years, Bibles-1 year or until you loose it)

…I think we are loosing something. Our connection to history is eroding. Previous generations were intimately connected to the past. Stuff lasted longer, fashions changed less, people didn’t move, society admired stability, older people were respected, children served others, ideas were publish not blogged, etc., etc.. It might seem like a squishy case to say that a disconnect with history is causing all of those problems…but I don’t think so.

So what, what’s the big deal? A lot of the social aspects of this historical erosion are preferential, right? To an extent, what we are dealing with is not necessarily right v. wrong, or black v. white. But, there are some problems that will come upon us because of our delight in discarding our connection with the past. For instance, when was the last time you learned something on your own? My guess; anything big you learned was either taught to you directly by someone else (most likely older), or you learned it by trial and error…or you learned it from the resultant consequences of poor choices.

Footnote: Trial and error is the most inefficient way to learn. Some people say they learn best that way. Really? News flash, it is because you are proud and don’t want to listen to other people. (I know this, because someone dear to me enlightened me on why I preferred to learn that way…she was older…again…connection to history, her history.)

Sometimes blogging is frustrating. I don’t have time to develop this thought. I have other things to work on that will probably produce more fruit for the kingdom than a blog that 3 people will read. And, in reality, this could be a book topic.

So, in closing…I’m thinking through this because I want to make sure my family understands how a connection to history is biblical, practical, helpful, painless, and fun.

Some of the ways I hope to do that…

• –Tell stories: Every so often I meet people who don’t know anything about their family, where they’ve come from, what their family did before them….sad.
• –Teach my son how to shave like Winston Churchill. I mean nothing gives you a taste of nostalgia like an old time barber shop. And nothing beats the experience of an old time barber shop…outside of doing it on your own. Especially before I preach, I like to shave with my Badger brush, and DE Safety Razor. The combination just happens to be the same that Dr. David Martyn Lloyd Jones used (no I can not prove it…but you can not disprove it :).
• Nothing like being reminded of the passion, authority, responsibility, duty, calling, and priviledge of preaching when you have a razor on your throat.
• –Teach my kids from history. Whether it is WWII, Napolean, the Cesars, or my own failures in College…history is filled with lessons. If a young man can learn from history, instead of his own mistakes, his wisdom will grow in leaps and bounds. Hopefully as my kids learn from History, they become tacitly aware of God’s faithfulness and man’s un-faithfulness. Over and over God proves Himself as the only one faithful all the time.
• –Model for my kids that a connection to stuff is not the answer. It is not about what you have…what you have can simply be a great reminder of what God has done in the past. If I can’t hold what I have with an open hand, then I haven’t truly shown an understanding of what God has taught in His history.
• –Teach my kids how to fill, clean and write with fountain pens (probably after they turn 10 or so…).
• –Let my kids kill a bunch of plants (in their own rooftop garden, of course). I think that the more urban our societies become, the less people understand that growing food is hard work…and sometimes, no matter the skill level of the farmer, or his work ethic…it simply does not pay off.
• –Make sure my kids know how hard it is to throw a pot on a potters wheel and make sure they spend time with sheep. Two things that in history past, many people were familiar with the process, and had either done it themselves, watched it, were close to someone who had… But, today…exactly. Unless your grandma was a sheep farmer like mine, or you took ceramics classes in college for the soul purpose of understanding the biblical illustration (and to avoid taking a more difficult elective), then you probably have no (experiential) clue of two of the most widely used illustrations in the Bible…and that is what I like to call a disconnect with history.

Well, there is more than that, but that is a start. Maybe someday I’ll come back to it, and add some more bullet points…there are many more floating around in my head, like the importance of leather soled dress shoes as opposed to rubber…starting a fire without matches…cooking over a fire without pots and pans…lots of man stuff, and I’m guessing when baby girl starts motoring around I’ll start thinking of things to teach her too.

But, the bottom line (for me) is a connection with history nourishes my soul’s desire to be connected with the history in the Bible. In the history of the Bible we find the story of the Bible, the Gospel. Someday I want to make my own papyrus, and write the book of Romans on it. How much fun would that be?! Hopefully someday I’ll hear a little voice say…”me too!”