Not a dusty subject

You know how history class was in school.  Names, dates, and places.  So boring.  Well, sometimes the teacher showed a film.  That was a little better.

Over the years, my understanding of history has completed morphed into something vibrant and radically important.  Utterly essential for life.

It's not just for school--which means this post is not just for educators or students.  All of us need it.

History is a map.  If someone picked me up and dumped me at random into some city, I would have a hard time navigating.  But if I had a map, I could easily figure out what to do.  History is the map to the present.  It shows you how we got here.

When we get into a car, we might think of nothing past the steel and upholstery and our destination.  But if we know history, we know about Henry Ford, the invention of the assembly line, and the United Auto Workers' union.  We know about OPEC and the economy of Russia.  We can then better understand today's headlines relating to fracking, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Tesla Motor Company.

Granted, all this is still a bit boring.  But it gets better.  Because history is also a map of ideas.  And ideas are at least as important as technology (cars) or battles.

Julius Caesar is considered the first Roman emperor in what was originally a republic somewhat similar to our own.  He didn't call himself the emperor.  But we know what he did.  He disregarded the rule of law and illegally crossed the Rubicon river with his army.  The first Caesar counted on his personal popularity to keep himself in power in spite of his action.

The rule of law is the idea that all men, even the highest ruler, is subject to the law.  We can trace it down through history.  It sent down roots in England and later in the nascent United States.  Does it still hold sway in the minds of Americans?  It will affect our decision-making.  For whom should we vote?  The one who looks best in a suit, or the one with a firm belief in the rule of law?

Okay, maybe it's still a bit of work to disentangle plot threads like this.  But what about the great men and women of the past?  Traditionally, one purpose for teaching history has been to hold up exceptional people to the consideration of the student: models, heroes even.  It may seem old-fashioned.  But we don't have to white-wash the story to benefit from biographies.  Sometimes the faults of a Sam Houston or the health issues of a Teddy Roosevelt make their subsequent accomplishments all the more remarkable and inspiring.

And reading about people is just plain fun.  Poring over a well-written biography not only acquaints the reader with the historical personage, it painlessly infuses a knowledge of the culture and thought-life of the time and place.

I haven't even gotten to the best part yet.  The best part is the overarching truth that all history is governed--planned out even--by God.  We can indeed call it His Story.  That doesn't mean that all things that happen are good in themselves.  But it gives us a fundamental philosophy from which to start.

We know that the Bible reveals the purpose of history.  We see sin from the get-go.  But we also see the redemptive work of God from eternity past to eternity future.  All of history glorifies God.  The details of history don't always make much sense to our eyes.  But we know God is in control. We can also study history with the perspective that the redemptive work of Christ is the most important part.   We see around the world how the Truth influences lives and whole cultures.

The cross itself is that unique place in history upon which all else hinges.  At that point in time the  God-man entered our time-space continuum and gave His life for His enemies.  The Gospel is both the touchstone and the goal of history.  We can study history and worship.