I think we may all agree that we live in very unusual times. God has inspired us to make wonderful advancements in technology, medicine and athletics. We have more information and understanding about our bodies and the world around us than ever before. Conversely we often have greater levels of judgmentalism and greed as we wrestle to determine applications for some of those same advancements. 

 

We also have what I fear is a harmful trend of evaluating history through the lens of our current culture.  Or in other words, taking our current knowledge and evaluating decisions in history with information that was not available to them at the time. This happens not just for historical events, but also in families as they look back and offer criticism to decisions made. 

 

In a sense, we are attempting to move ancient markers set up by previous generations. 

 

It would be impossible to know all of the reasons for decisions made by previous generations, but we should be careful to understand as much as we can before we carelessly pass judgment.

 

As we look to the new year, give grace to those who have gone before us who have struggled to do the best they could with what they had at the time.

 

In His Hands, 

 

John