Its January! It's a new year and a time of new beginnings!
When we begin something anew, it is common to look to earlier beginnings, origins, or events for meaning. Looking back can guide us as we evaluate the past, our present and the creation of our future. What happens, however, when those beginnings are ignored, forgotten or even destroyed?
For instance honoring our country and its heritage, can be a source of identity and engender gratitude for those who were part of its founding. Last year was the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock, and there was little if any mention of the historic event and no mention of the important Mayflower Compact, the document that led to self-government. The compact is a forerunner of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution has been the foundation of a free society and a model for other free countries for over 200 years. Remembering beginnings like this can be rejuvenating as it would be to take the honorable beginnings of any country and celebrate all that is good about its origins. With concern, I notice that the culture is ignoring the celebration of important people, and events from which we could draw strength and direction. Noting this Christopher Caldwell said, "What hope is there for a nation that doesn’t care about its beginnings?" (https://
Family beginnings are vital to family solidarity and strength. Do families know and seek their heritage? Do they know the stories of their parents and grandparents? When a child knows how mom and dad met, or how grandpa overcame financial challenges, or great grandma raised her family while her husband was at war, they also learn about themselves. Can family stories be absent with no consequence?
Author Bruce Feiler shares about a measure called the "Do You Know Scale?" that asked children to answer 20 questions. Examples included: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth? The researchers: "Dr. Duke and Dr. Fivush asked those questions of four dozen families in the summer of 2001, and taped several of their dinner table conversations. They then compared the children’s results to a battery of psychological tests the children had taken, and reached an overwhelming conclusion. The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned. The “Do You Know?” scale turned out to be the best single predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness." https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html
And what about the beginning of life? The very fountain of life? With deep sadness, I see our nation sanctioning the killing of the unborn. One in four babies is aborted before birth. How can healing take place when abortion is common? Those babies from whom new life begins, are those to whom we attempt with whole heart to transfer our values, love and stories. Conception is a beginning. Honoring and celebrating that beginning speaks well of our faith in the future. Reverencing human beginning lends respect to all of life.
This is a call to ponder and reflect on beginnings - a challenge to acknowledge, revere and perpetuate all that is good about your nation of origin, a plea to search and share your heritage with your family and ask for a prayer for the unborn. As you move through 2021, look back first to find strength and alignment as you chart through the waters ahead. Look to your beginnings.
