Independence from Bitterness--Let's Celebrate Some Healing

The recent push by some in this country to remove many monuments from the past has gotten me thinking. There is a difference between remembering and celebrating, and it would be helpful if as a country we could remember the distinction. You might be familiar with the saying, "Those who fail to remember the past are bound to repeat it." Well, there are some ugly parts of our country's past that we must remember in order to ensure we do not repeat them. 

As I write this, it is Independence Day. It's the day we remember and celebrate our independence from England, fought for with the blood of patriots. That's two hundred forty-four years of freedom and independence--for some. Yet, the glory of our hard-fought independence is marred by ugly scars of prejudice and discrimination. Our founders fought for freedom from religious and economic oppression, yet many of them oppressed others. They imported slavery from England, and oppressed and killed Native Americans, robbing them of land. The history of every nation is marred by contradictions to the ideals it claims. America is no exception. 

So, what do we do with an imperfect history? Should we wipe the ugly parts from our memory? Should we re-write history so those who were tragically excluded from "liberty and justice for all" can avoid uncomfortable reminders? No, we should not. But, we must make a distinction between celebrating and remembering. When monuments celebrate tragedy, we ought to remember differently. However, when monuments remind us of our history, even with its ugly parts, we are prompted to avoid the mistakes our founders made. 

Some of us know a little something of ugly pasts. We certainly don't build monuments to remember them. No, we'd like to forget our wrongs. But we can't forget them. As ugly as they are, they serve to remind us of where we once were. They also serve to remind us to never repeat the same wrongs. We are a people with short memories, when it comes to our own wrongs. Oh, we'll remember others' wrongs, like our brains are steel traps. But when it comes to our own, we so easily forget. 

So, how do we remember our past in healthy ways? Theologian Miroslav Volf gives us three ways to remember the past in redemptive ways:

1. Remember truthfully.
2. Remember so as to heal. 
3. Learn from the past.

Those who defend monuments to oppression ought to remember the past more truthfully. Healing begins with honesty. Those who would wipe even the ugly parts of our history from remembrance would do well to remember the past so as to heal. Bitter remembrance keeps wounds open and festering. Both sides would do well to remember the past so as to learn from it. We can avoid repeating the past if we let history instruct us. 

We with ugly pasts can heal from the worst parts of our pasts, too, if we remember them truthfully. It starts with honesty, but until we're prepared to deal only with the truth, we'll perpetuate illusions and delusions that refuse to let wounds heal. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some healing to take place. That would be worth celebrating.