Archiving Our Faith Journey

Archiving Our Faith Journey

This devotion “Archiving Our Faith Journey” looks at the importance of both of the Testaments in the Holy Bible.  Christians should be reading both the Old and New Testaments. 

THOUGHT: 

October is National Archives Month. At first, I feel a compulsion to say, “So what?”  Why should we consider a bunch of old books that are seemingly outdated and inconsequential? Well, let us look at the definition – Archives is “a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.”  You could think of them as the “elderly” of our world. The older generations and if they could be here, the previous generations, encapsulate and protect our history and therefore are the foundation for our future. So it is with archives. The “old” books contain the foundation of where we have come from, help to define how we fit into the world, and are a jumping off spot to the future that lies ahead.

I recall a recent visit to a Jewish synagogue. The Rabbi, when attempting to move the Torah from the Ark on the altar, almost dropped it. As he thankfully caught it, a collected sigh came up from the congregation when this “disaster” almost occurred. You see, if a Rabbi drops the Torah, he must fast for 40 days!

Just as the Torah is considered holy and very special, so is our “Bible.”  It archives our past in order for us to have that foundation. If you meet a new Christian or someone who is interested in reading the Bible for the first time, you likely will not refer them to Deuteronomy or Leviticus. Instead, they are encouraged to read the Books of John or James, books that speak of true love for God and others. Yet, as they grow in their Christian faith, they must return to the Old Testament. Once they know the story of Jesus, it is imperative to revert to the archives to discover how the stories came to be. They can discover the beauty of Gods’ creation in Genesis and the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs that we came from as well. The Judges, the Prophets, the Kings………its all in there. When you know where you came from, its easier to see which direction you are headed. The people in the O.T. stories or archives, are our “touchstone,” if you will.

I have worked as an Interpreter for the Deaf and have witnessed the amazing affect that technology has had on communication for the Deaf Community. Texting, computers, and videotaping. During this fast-moving age of technology, the Deaf Community realized that the elderly Deaf persons were starting to pass on and they decided to videotape them to archive their stories for generations to come. In years past, Deaf people did not have equal rights and were often treated unfairly. Many of the videotapes capture the stories of the earlier generations and their struggles to fight for their civil rights. Their history, and therefore their future, are forever ensconced in technology for all those to come.

Can you imagine understanding Who Jesus is without the Creator Father? Who could understand the concept of the Holy Spirit if someone did not understand the Trinity as discussed in Genesis? The genealogies mentioned in Matthew and Luke would be meaningless if someone did not understand the significance of those names like Abraham, Isaac, Sarah, Deborah, Moses, David, and the list goes on and on. Their names, their legacies, their lives archive or support the New Testament stories.

Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. –Acts 7:8—

The New Testament is replete with references back to the Old Testament stories. Jesus, in an attempt to prove His Kingship and His Jewish heritage, would often quote Old Testament scripture to the people. In fact, just before His last breath on the cross He cries out:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” –Matthew 27:46—

This is a scripture straight from Psalm 21.

As we reflect on the importance of National Archives Month, let us remember that our present-day faith is a journey that is begun in the archives of the Old Testament. Let us not forget the faith of our forefathers and those Jews and Christians that came before us. Their stories are archived in our hearts.

PRAYER:  

Holy God, Creator and Father, we Thank You for our very being. We Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ to save all of us from our sins, and we Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who came in Jesus’ stead to guide us in our future. Help us remember our ancestors and archive their stories in our hearts and spirits.  AMEN.

Thanks for visit. We hope you enjoyed Archiving Our Faith Journey.

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