"Our Past is Our Present?"
Lately, I have been re-studying the times of the kings of Israel and Judah to re-visit the narratives that I had not read in some time. As I studied the kings who were just 2-3 generations removed from the whole-hearted King David, I was struck with the realness of how our past truly impacts our present. In chapters 15 & 16 the phrase "he went in the way of all the sins of his father" or something to that degree, came up often in such a short stint of Bible space so to speak. This recurring phrase also brought to mind some recent situations that I have encountered with young people that I mentor who often use the excuse of, "Why should I do what you're telling me; you did exactly what I am doing" in reference to bad choices. Honestly, I am still at a loss for words when I hear such a weak justification for not doing what one knows to be right. Both the biblical reference and the everyday ...