Dec. 7, 2022
December 7. For many this date is as seared into memory as, say, 9/11. When we hear ‘9/11’ we all know what is being referred to.
Well, it was that way with December 7. I was not alive when the cataclysmic events occurred on December 7. But I know about them. And when I see the date, that is what I think of. I wonder if my kids hear ‘December 7’ and know what to associate with that date. I don’t know. Here in America we tend to have short memories. In Europe, the people have much longer memories.
What about remembering? It can be good. To know what has gone on. To be grateful for what has come before. To learn from past mistakes. To understand why things are the way they are. To bond people together with a shared heritage.
Remembering can also bring up pain, anger, and the desire for retribution or justice.
This season as we seek Christ, maybe we can think about what in our past or our sense of the past needs healing. How do we need Christ the healer to help us deal with our memories and the stories we have been told so that we can live fully and freely into the future? We can choose to give the past power to make us stronger and to be a foundation for a future of peace. Seeking Christ will help us to find needed healing.
Give some thought to the power you give to the past in your life.
Prayer
We remember the events of December 7 and their aftermath. We pray that we might learn from the past and heal from that past so that we can live into a future of peace and joy. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 