FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(03/01/2009)
GOING
FORWARD BACKWARDS Cindy
Hong
A few
weeks ago I took a class at Grace Presbyterian Church near Westheimer
and Beltway 8. To combat the afternoon lull, the instructor asked us to
stand up. Bracing myself for a few minutes of imitation tai-chi, I was
in for a surprise when he asked us to pretend we were all on the Olympic
rowing team. We stuck our elbows out and started moving our arms back
and forth, hands gripping invisible oars. The assignment was to row around
the room and talk to classmates about rowing. Besides culling lessons
on balance, teamwork, and consistency, the main thing we learned was that
if we wanted to move forward toward the imaginary finish line, going backwards
was essential. Similarly, it seems going forward with God requires periodic
looks backward to where we have been and to remember what God has done
in the past. Scripture is fraught with the word “remember.” There's
a whole theology and lifestyle built around remembering. Feasts, festivals,
and sacrifices all help God's people remember they belong to Him. Our
monthly practice of communion allows us to remember Jesus' broken body
and shed blood for us. During this yearly Lenten season we get to remember
Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness and his victory over temptation. Lent
also gives us time and space to prepare our hearts, through prayer, sacrifice,
and giving, to commemorate His death and celebrate His resurrection. So
in remembering the past we are propelled forward with confidence that
He is always with us, that He has loved us with an everlasting love, that
He is the same tomorrow as He was yesterday, that He has already given
us everything we need for life and godliness. It's been said that amnesia
is one of the greatest obstacles to the spiritual life (the others are
inertia and mañana). If we don't intentionally remember God's goodness,
grace, and gifts, we'll forget. And our inability to row backwards may
hinder us from propelling forward toward the finish line God has for us.
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