Just today, I was watching a show on VH-1, which reviews the events from years past. This particular program was looking at highlights from 1981, and it was, in typical fashion, recounting the popular songs and people from that time in a rather "humorous" way. Here's how it works: a variety of pundits add their comical recollections of what took place in a given year. To be honest, some of what they say is very funny, as they look at what was "in" at that time. It is amazing to consider how foolish we can appear!
Still, the admittedly funny and valid aspects of the show aside, there is something that just doesn't sit right with me. There is, shall we say, a kind of historical pride that comes to the surface when we analyze that which preceded us. Don't get me wrong. Such analysis, especially when performed with a comic twist, can be both legitimate and helpful. However, when those who are making the judgments fail to see the reality of their own historical situatedness, there is the potential for pride and error.
There is a parallel here with certain postmodern-oriented Christians (of which I would count myself one), who sometimes stand against the ideas and practices of traditional (modern) believers. Many times, of course, their critique is warranted, and I, for one, am no friend of certain modern trends. We simply must be able to correct and avoid the mistakes of those who came before us. But in the process we must never forget our own situatedness. As mentioned above, some of what moderns did was correct, at least for a time. Other things should be rejected. And, believe it or not, some modern practices are actually helpful and enduring.
The point here is that we must not think we are immune to the errors and wrong-headed attitudes we observe in others. One day, and it's already beginning, we will be critiqued by others (and by ourselves!). Then, we will understand that some of our cutting edge approaches were wrong, some of the things we opposed were (at least partly) right, and some of our criticism was too quick and harsh. Likewise, for all the postmodern discoveries that we've made, we will realize that we, too, like our modern friends, are prone to historical pride.
Let's face it. We are doing at least some things right now--socially, culturally, and in the name of science or religion--that we will one day reject. We're not doing these wrongs things on purpose, of course. If we knew they were wrong, we'd avoid them. But, and this is key, we do not have the historical perspective of a future onlooker, an analyst from tomorrow.
What this means, I think, is that our criticism of the past should be tempered by a deep sense of humility, and a recognition that we have our own blind spots, areas where we might not be doing it quite right. Likewise, we should realize that some of the things we deem silly might have been just fine for their time (hoola hoops, bell bottoms, disco). If everything that used to be in fashion was as outlandish as we seem to think, how did these fashions gain polularity in the first place?
So, let's try our best to remember that we are historically situated, located in our time. To the degree that we do, we will shield ourselves from historical arrogance, stay alert to our own errors, and orient ourselves to that future time, which we experience in part now, when all times are gathered up in the presence of our gracious Lord.
Still, the admittedly funny and valid aspects of the show aside, there is something that just doesn't sit right with me. There is, shall we say, a kind of historical pride that comes to the surface when we analyze that which preceded us. Don't get me wrong. Such analysis, especially when performed with a comic twist, can be both legitimate and helpful. However, when those who are making the judgments fail to see the reality of their own historical situatedness, there is the potential for pride and error.
There is a parallel here with certain postmodern-oriented Christians (of which I would count myself one), who sometimes stand against the ideas and practices of traditional (modern) believers. Many times, of course, their critique is warranted, and I, for one, am no friend of certain modern trends. We simply must be able to correct and avoid the mistakes of those who came before us. But in the process we must never forget our own situatedness. As mentioned above, some of what moderns did was correct, at least for a time. Other things should be rejected. And, believe it or not, some modern practices are actually helpful and enduring.
The point here is that we must not think we are immune to the errors and wrong-headed attitudes we observe in others. One day, and it's already beginning, we will be critiqued by others (and by ourselves!). Then, we will understand that some of our cutting edge approaches were wrong, some of the things we opposed were (at least partly) right, and some of our criticism was too quick and harsh. Likewise, for all the postmodern discoveries that we've made, we will realize that we, too, like our modern friends, are prone to historical pride.
Let's face it. We are doing at least some things right now--socially, culturally, and in the name of science or religion--that we will one day reject. We're not doing these wrongs things on purpose, of course. If we knew they were wrong, we'd avoid them. But, and this is key, we do not have the historical perspective of a future onlooker, an analyst from tomorrow.
What this means, I think, is that our criticism of the past should be tempered by a deep sense of humility, and a recognition that we have our own blind spots, areas where we might not be doing it quite right. Likewise, we should realize that some of the things we deem silly might have been just fine for their time (hoola hoops, bell bottoms, disco). If everything that used to be in fashion was as outlandish as we seem to think, how did these fashions gain polularity in the first place?
So, let's try our best to remember that we are historically situated, located in our time. To the degree that we do, we will shield ourselves from historical arrogance, stay alert to our own errors, and orient ourselves to that future time, which we experience in part now, when all times are gathered up in the presence of our gracious Lord.
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