Do you learn history? It’s good to look back at things that happened long ago. Some events remind us of hard times. Others are happy memories. All things can help us recall that God is the perfect author of history.
National holidays mark events that changed history. Countries around the world joyfully celebrate their independence. Some holidays are somber, like Veterans Day in November and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in January. History marks good things like women winning voting rights in 1920 and the first Moon landing in 1969. Around the world, statues, monuments, and signs note important past events.
Virginia’s statue of Robert E. Lee was a reminder of the Civil War. During that war, the United States split into North and South. The two sides fought over slavery. They also argued over the government’s power. More than 200 years later, the Lee statue made some people upset. The statue stood 60-feet high in a public place in Virginia’s capital city. That seemed to say that maybe slavery wasn’t so bad. General Lee participated in enslaving other people. But still, he was an honored hero. That’s why Virginia’s governor decided to take the statue down.
Henry Marsh III is a civil rights attorney. He was the first black mayor in Richmond, Virginia. He thought the Lee statue should be removed.
But removing it doesn’t mean people should forget Robert E. Lee. Mr. Marsh thinks people can still remember other parts of General Lee’s life. For one, he was president of Washington and Lee University. Tradition says the Southern general also had faith in Jesus.
The Bible tells us how God is faithful to His people year after year. Hebrews 11 shares stories of real people like Noah, Abraham, Rahab, and Gideon. God used them to write His story. None of them lived perfect lives. All were sinful people. But their faith made them righteous in God’s sight.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe and remember what we can’t see. That’s why museums and monuments can be helpful. They are tools to remind us of important events. Psalm 105:5 says, “Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered.”
Pray: Ask God to help you see how He works in history as well as in events today.
