Rushing Forward Backwards

It’s been years since I last rode a train, but I recall one odd feature—some of the seats faced to the rear. Looking out the window I saw scenery flash by, a cow, a barn, a stand of trees. But I only saw each thing after the train had already passed it.

My reading in Soren Kierkegaard’s diary brought my train ride to mind when the theologian said, “Life must be lived forward, but understood backwards”.

Yesterday I spent hanging around with my son Johnny who drove down from Maryland for the holiday and for his sister’s wedding. I had not spent time with Johnny for years and we caught up on news and ideas as we talked all day. I found him to be a wise young man filled with insights and discernment as he demonstrated so much understanding of things that went on in the past.

I had forgotten many of the things that came up in our conversation especially when he drew me out about my own accomplishments in life. I knew I’d done stuff in the past, but somehow in the present, I tend to discount it. For instance, it was not till long in the evening that I remembered to mention that portions of my books have been translated into eleven languages. I knew that has happened but I discounted it as of little importance till Johnny asked about it.

Life must be lived forward but understood backwards.

If my keeping a journal for 35+ years has taught me nothing else, it’s taught me that I do not understand what is going on in my own life. Things I thought important one day, fizzle the next; things and people I wrote off as trivial, assumed major parts in my life—but like the cow, barn and trees I saw from the train, I only see that afterwards.

I think the Scripture hints that sometimes we do not know we have done the will of God till after we have done it. For instance, Paul told Timothy, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after .Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid”.

And the author of Hebrews said, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”.

God calls on us to remember the former things. To look at what happened. At what we were. At what we wanted. At how we loved. At where we goofed—then turn around and move forward.

That’s the meaning of repentance—not wallowing in despair over past sin, but turning away from darkness towards the Light. If we continue to walk in darkness, that darkness is caused by our own shadow as we face away from the Light of Christ. If we turn around and move toward Him, can we see our shadow or any darkness at all?

Readers of the London Telegraph newspaper travel all over the world. Many of them snap photos of unusual signs seen in their travels and sent them to the newspaper where they get published about once a week at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/signlanguage/ . Here’s one posted recently:

Makes perfect sense to me.

Know of a better definition of repentance?

We’ve all shown our behind at one time or another. Now it’s time to turn back.

As the Prophet Ezekiel wrote, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.

“Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?”

My mother said I was a breech birth; I came into the world ass backwards from the word GO.

That may explain a lot of things.