I like to study history. I was a soldier for coming on twenty five years, a cadet, then an infantryman. Absolutely loved and hated it, at the same time. Which I am sure any infantryman would fully understand.
Had the fortune, or misfortune depending on how you look at it I guess, of having lived through a couple of events that will end up in the obscure corners of history books. I'm not famous, no hero, didn't do anything 'great'. Just happened to serve along side some great men. Fortunate.
I put my trust and faith in Jesus Christ my last year serving. I was posted outside of an infantry unit my last couple of years. My last tour was as the Operations Officer and Senior Instructor for a para-military unit in Canada's north (this post is not about them, I'm sure you can find out who they are). It was a very challenging position, and quite an education.
I believe the Lord was very patient with me over my life. I read of folks who turn down His saving grace and that's it. They're done. But the Lord worked on me for quite some period of time, before I recognized my actual state as a helpless sinner. A sinner who was in need of the work completed by His Son at Calvary. I am reminded by the life of King David, who was outrageous in his turn to sin, and yet still confessed turned back and sought His Lord. Please, I am not claiming to be as great as such. Yet I firmly believe that our Bible gives us examples no matter how low in our statue or high that we can emulate in our Christian walk. Davids fall and recovery is one.
I find that when I read through my Bible, the parts I personally enjoy the most are the history books. I know from others testimony that some like the poetry books, some like the prophecy. For me, history. I look at the world I am living in as walking through a history lesson. I must always remind my self. That other's don't think as such, and may miss things I find relevant, just as they cannot understand my apparent or real lack of empathy for what they see.
So why no politics? Simple. The thing about history and the study of same, is we are looking back. As time passes, we can either get more information as to what happened (i.e. release of the Soviet archives) or even less information (the destruction of great libraries by thugs and barbarians, or governments who hold onto archival information for multiple decades or even - rarely - destroy it). Politics is current, it happens around us, we are looking forward, and as a result what we actually know about the past reporting; is usually extremely inaccurate.
People lie, even Christians inflate their actions, we are sinners. Also, though hard to understand, people have incomplete memories or even cases where they feel so strongly on something, that becomes a "truth" to them, though provably false. This is very much something pushed in our current times "my truth - your truth". A great trick of Satan to keep us divided and away from the truth. Sometimes even the truth can be a lie (if told in a manner to deceive or mislead). It is our job as Christians to stand by the truth, and yet remember that these unsaved folks are not our enemies.
This has been common in every ruling class throughout history. Some will even try to justify it by the Bible passages that allow deceptive practices during war. There have been some leaders that have been honest, but I am pretty sure we could count them up on two hands, and the ones who were not overthrown or assassinated on one hand...
Even as we live through things, we have a distorted view of what is actually going on. It doesn't mean that what we see is inaccurate, just maybe not enough information to fully explain the event. And of course, then you run into those who gain power by the misinformation or attempt to discredit (the supposed contradictions of the four Gospels anyone?).
So, though I don't care of the politician who (supposedly) wrote it, the title to the book 'Living History' always kind of lines up with my view. And because the history that we are living through, has not been reviewed, archived and studied. We, like when we were standing near some historical event, may be missing a large part of the actual story.
Praise God for His patience with me, prior to salvation and since.
At Calvary
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary
Then I tremble at the law I'd spurned
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary
O the grace that brought it down to man
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary
Now I gladly own Him as my King
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary
At Calvary
Calvary...
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