Embracing Diversity as a Family Blog #5: Chapter 3. Good, Bad, and Ugly History

Before you begin reading my blog, here is the link to a 15 minute radio interview I enjoyed doing, which recently aired on Crawford Broadcasting stations from Colorado to California:

I have always enjoyed studying history. In my early years, I actively listened to Bible stories at church (the Bible is “His Story”), learned about my family’s history from my parents and grandparents, and enjoyed field trips in elementary school to historic sites. During middle and high school, I studied textbook history and geography during my public education and toured other states for summer vacations. As a young adult, I came to appreciate reading National Geographic and WORLD magazines, pouring through biographies, then traveling overseas by plane and cruise ship in my later adult years.

Of particular interest to me were the epic empires, including British, Chinese, Egyptian, Grecian, Mesoamerican, Roman, Russian, and Spanish. I was interested in wars and rumors of wars. I followed political and religious uprisings and vanquishing. Aircraft, ships, tanks, and yes, bombs — even nuclear ones — bore endless fascination to me. My favorite movies involved World War II British officer characters and their escapades. Notwithstanding the amazing accomplishments, battles, bridges built and rebuilt, buildings erected and ruined, museum artifacts, and travel opportunities galore, there were of course human tragedies involved with all great civilizations.

Death, human trafficking, rape, and slavery were horrific acts of mankind and still go on today. It is sickening and near us. It seems distant from us when it is in a book, documentary, or roadside sign marker. Yet it all happened and still does. It was not right, and it remains wrong! These atrocities still go on in places like Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, Latin America, and even in the United States of America. It is the opposite of God’s beautiful creation. It is sin. It is evil. God hates it and we should, too.

So, how can we simultaneously be intrigued by and yet hate war with all of its devastating costs to mankind? Well, think of the American Revolution. I would not be here today, enjoying the freedoms I have now, had not a rebellious, even violent group of individuals stood up to the British Crown and said, “No more!”. Funny, I am still enthralled with the royal stories of the late, great Queen Elizabeth, along with William, Kate, and their adorable children. The others … not so much.

In my lifelong pursuit of historical knowledge, I have come to realize that man is sinful above all. But God is Sovereign above all. War is a necessary evil. Good men and women need to stand up and resist tyranny while also defending freedom, sometimes giving their all to do so. And those of us who follow the way of Christ, need to stand for life, whether for the unborn or the enslaved.