Author and columnist Peggy Noonan wrote a terrific piece in the Wall Street Journal recently about the importance of knowing history. She was reviewing a collection of essays, interviews and speeches by the late historian David McCullough called History Matters (pre-orders available here).
Noonan made an interesting observation about our understanding of history. She writes, “You can’t be dreamy about the past and say, ‘It was nice then.’ It was never nice, it was made by human beings. You can’t say, ‘People were better then.’ They weren’t.”
It’s true, we do tend to romanticize the past. We like our heroes strong and resolute, our villains dastardly. On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I realized how strong a gravitational pull nostalgia exerts. Like most Americans, I delight in the stories and characters of our founding. Paul Revere’s midnight ride. Betsy Ross stitching the first American flag. General Washington leading the Continental Army into battle against the Redcoats.
The problem with nostalgia is that it oversimplifies. It amplifies the “dreamy” and glosses over the unsavory bits. To really honor and learn from the American story (or any historical account for that matter) requires more than sentimentality. We need the unvarnished version. Which is what makes Rick Atkinson’s book The British are Coming such an irresistible read.
Continue reading “Unvarnished and Irresistible History”
Nearly two years into the pandemic, the time is right for rediscovering the bonds of community. Historically, Americans have a way of coming together in moments of crisis. Whether organizing food drives, raising barns, planting victory gardens, or rationing scarce resources, the importance of civic duty is generally understood and appreciated. But when civic duty requires that community stay apart, the results present an added depth of hardship.
People of faith are called to pray for those in civil authority, whatever their political persuasion. But how do we best pray for our nation’s leaders? What if we don’t agree with them? What if our prayers feel pointless?
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