“The past.” Undoubtedly, you have an emotional reaction just considering those two small words. They encapsulate a great deal of meaning for each of us, regardless of our situations, backgrounds, gender or race. As communities, we debate the proper role of historical figures from our imperfect past and we attempt to recall politicians who we have voted into office. The past is front of mind for us personally, and front-page news collectively.
Is the past really in the past? Not always. Ask a soldier or a child in foster care who struggles with post-traumatic stress injury (PSTI). Sounds, sites and even smells can trigger a return to a previous traumatic experience as if it is happening in the present. Indeed, there is nothing “post” about post-traumatic stress injury!
Regret may be a big reason our past still haunts us—prior personal choices that affect our present reality: rough times you have weathered, mistakes you’ve made, and hurts that haven’t fully healed. Frankly, a glance back in the “rearview mirror” of life isn’t high on your priority list! You’ve done your best to forget the past and move on.
Forgiving, forgetting, and moving on into the future… all easier said than done. Our faith and spirituality can certainly help us sort through the minefield of regret and make sense of our personal and corporate histories. I find the Christian scriptures to be especially helpful as I do this work.
For instance, Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi,
“It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:12-14, CEB)
Paul had good reason to want to forget his past… he had been an enemy of Jesus and his followers. In his zeal to uphold the religious system he knew, he had Jesus’ followers thrown in jail and even oversaw the stoning death of at least one (see Acts 7:58-8:1). But did Paul truly forget his past? When he came to realize the error of his ways and accept Jesus as his leader and was forgiven of his sins… did Paul bury his past never to be remembered?
“Forgive and forget” is bumper-sticker theology that can’t be backed up by God’s revealed Word. I know this, not because I want to justify my own stubborn “holding on” to my past, but because I can see that whatever “forgetting” Paul did regarding his past, it did NOT involve ceasing to remember, or even omitting to mention that which had gone on before.
In fact, part of what drove Paul beyond his horrible past and into a glorious future was remembering just how far God had brought him! As proof, look no further than what he wrote to a young minister named Timothy:
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I’m the biggest sinner of all. But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I’m an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:12-16, CEB)
Clearly, for Paul to say that he was the “biggest sinner of all” means he didn’t totally forget his past. Instead, Paul used his past as an example of just how messed up you can be and still have God forgive you and use you to bless others!
So… what kind of “forgetting” should we practice? Should we stuff the hurt and disappointments of the past down deep never to be remembered? Should we remember our past every time we mess up as “proof” that we’re irreparably flawed and there is nothing we can do about our condition? No!
Here’s a hint from me to you about what might be the key… your “forgetting” should keep in mind forgiveness.
Why forgiveness? Because grace is all about forgiveness. Forgiveness gives us the strength to see our past as a source of strength rather than an anchor weighing us down and ruining our hope for a future. Forgiveness is the pathway to hope. Hope is a powerful tool for reconciling our past, experiencing a better present, and seeing a better future, not only for ourselves, but for our communities.
--------------------
The Reverend Chris Haughee is a licensed minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church and is the Church Relations liaison for Intermountain. An adoptive father to two, Chris is an advocate for greater inclusion of foster and adoptive families in the life and ministry of local congregations. Some of the content of this article is appears in a devotional based on his time as Intermountain’s chaplain entitled Hope for Healing is available at Amazon.com or by directly contacting Intermountain at 406-457-4804.
Comments (0)