In this season of politics, it seems to me that memories are a bit selective. Politicians want voters to remember all the good things they have supposedly done and forget all the questionable things they have perpetrated. They are hoping for forgetful voters or at least hope people will be willing to accept the spin that was given on what has happened or been said. Politicians are intent on meeting voters’ aspirations or preferred wishes. So, words and actions are twisted to transform facts as they exist into what they believe the voters want to be a reality they can embrace.
Lest we assume that this methodology is
owned only by the political establishment, there is ample evidence to see this
methodology spread throughout other facets of our culture. How many
manufacturers are hoping consumers will forget the recalls that have been
issued on their products? How many producers of certain products are counting
on a consumer’s short memory when it comes to the newly released studies
uncovering defects in their merchandise? How many spouses are counting on a
short memory of a mate for an infraction they committed in their relationship?
How many youthful drivers are hoping their parents have forgotten the dent for
which they were responsible on the back left corner panel of the car? They are
hoping for an attack of amnesia as they ask to borrow the family car. Ah
memories! They can be problematic at times. In those moments, we want them to
be forgotten.
On the other hand, how thankful we are for memories that are necessary to allow our lives to go along smoothly. Memories can allow us to avoid embarrassment. How foolish we feel when we can’t recall “what’s his name!” Memory can make us productive. How much time have we lost because we forgot where we put the car keys? Memory can help us to process life smoothly. How often have we said to ourselves, “If I could only remember my password!”? Memory can also keep us out of trouble. The unpleasant outcome of a past action when remembered may keep us from making the same mistake again. Certainly you can think of many more values of having a good memory.
Oscar Wilde one time wrote, “Memory... is
the diary that we all carry about with us.” My problem is that there are many
times in life I fail to make necessary diary entries! The consequences can be
traumatic as forgetfulness steals joy and triumph in my life. Forgetfulness can
squelch my gratitude, distort reality, and shatter the protective walls of
“lessons-learned” that surround my life. Forgetfulness can be the robber of
past achievements, and the crippler of future accomplishments.
In some respects when we look at the
history of the nation of Israel, we see the damage that can occur when
forgetfulness anesthetizes our memories, and we fail to remember essential
truths. The Psalmist gives a mini-history lesson for the nation in Psalm 106 to
alert them of the danger of forgetting who God is and what he had done. The
writer starts by saying who God is, “The Lord is good, and His faithful love
endures forever!” (106:1). Then throughout this song of praise he shares the
evidence of this and sadly reveals how repeatedly the nation forgot this. They
saw God do miracles on their behalf in Egypt and then “promptly forgot his many
acts of kindness to them” (7). The product of their forgetfulness was
rebellion. When the nation experienced their deliverance from bondage in Egypt
they “quickly forgot what he had done” (13). The verses following reveal
repeated discipline by God as they continued to rebel. Again they “forgot God
their savior” (21). The amnesia caused them to not “believe his promise to care
for them” and then they “refused to obey the Lord” (24, 25). Their
forgetfulness caused God to be angry with them (29, 32, 40) and discipline them
for their sin (41). Even with the forgetfulness of the nation, He did not
forget them (44-45). Why? Because God remembered his covenant and relented in
disciplining the nation because of His “unfailing love.” We have poor memories,
but God does not! He does what he promises to do even when our forgetfulness of
Him creates a catastrophe in our lives. How gracious God can be to the creation
that forgets Him.
Corrie Ten Boom, a woman who endured
horrible atrocities at the hands of the Nazis, had ghastly memories of what
happened to her and her family. But she remembered the faithfulness of God
during it all. The memories of what God did amid the horrors she experienced
formed her life. She wrote, “Memories are the key not to the past, but to the
future.” Her future was molded by memories of who God was and what God did in
the darkest times of her life. Later she faithfully ministered with love to
others, even those who authored her painful experiences. She remembered God’s
love for her and she desired to share such love with others. So, how is your
memory? Is it tempered with God’s unfailing love?
