Remember

Isaiah 63:7-14

Early in the Disney film, The Lion King, there is a conversation between King Mufasa and his young son, Simba.

Mufasa: Simba, let me tell you something my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past are up there, watching over us.

Simba: Really?

Mufasa: Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.

Memory plays an important part in our lives especially in our lives of faith. According to the prophet Isaiah, the people of Israel had turned away from God, but “then they remembered the days of old, of Moses [God’s] servant” (Isaiah 63:11). By remembering what had happened in the past the people were able to better understand where they had fallen short of God’s will and to seek God’s forgiveness.

For us, part of the “memory” is bound up in scripture, the stories and teachings collected in the Bible. Some “remembering” is done by sharing the faith from person to person, generation to generation, in the way that Mufasa taught Simba to remember the kings of the past. A profound type of “remembering” takes place during the sacrament of communion when we, as God’s people, are invited to share in the meal “in remembrance” of Jesus Christ. This remembering, this rehearsing of the past is one of the great responsibilities of Christians, as individuals, but particularly as a community. In reflecting on scripture, in attending to the teaching and preaching of the word of God, in telling and singing the great stories of the faith, in sharing the sacrament and inviting others to do so as well, we find strength for our living even as we prepare others to take our place in the future. Mufasa wanted Simba to remember what it meant to be a king. I want my children to remember what it means to have faith in God through Jesus Christ, how generations of their ancestors have been active in the life of the church and have sought to live as God’s people. But before I can share those memories with others, I have to be sure and claim them for myself. And so do you. Remembering leads to better understanding and greater faithfulness. It brought the people of Israel back to God, it can keep us focused as well.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember your works and your words as we look ahead to your coming reign. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.