Safe Paths
When I was in college, there was a river that ran through the middle of campus. Often, at some point in the winter, the temperatures would drop low enough that the river would freeze over. But since the water would continue to flow beneath the ice, there was often a question whether or not the ice was thick enough to walk on safely.
Being the bright college student I was, I developed the perfect strategy. Before I stepped out onto the ice, I would carefully look for footprints to see if someone had made it safely to the other side. I wanted to make sure that there was an established path that led to a good outcome – a path that had been historically tested and confirmed – because my life and well-being depended on it.
When it comes to crossing frozen rivers, choosing the old, safe path is obviously the best decision. When it comes to choosing a path for your life, however, our society ironically has rejected this wisdom. It is assumed that new ideas are automatically superior to those that are old – that new trends and therapies should immediately replace the traditions and techniques of the past. But in all the excitement and emotion of our cultural moment, we have forgotten to ask an important question. Is it safe? Is the ice actually stable?
The Right Side of History
I can already anticipate that it may sound like I’m anti-progress or against trail-blazing. But this isn’t my point at all. My concern is that there is such a fascination with “follow your heart” and “chart your own destiny” today, that we are no longer encouraging progress, but regress. People may be blazing their own trails, but the untold story of this generations’ exploits is that many of these trails are downward spirals, leading to unmet expectations, discouragement, and confusion.
When society tells us to throw off historical categories – that we need to define our own identity, our own values, and our own future – it doesn’t move us into greater clarity and agreement with others. Instead, it fuels the individual’s insecurities and anxieties, it disrupts social cohesion, and it unhinges us from the wisdom of the past. For every new issue that our society encounters – environmental issues, gender issues, economic issues, foreign policy issues – no one wants to be on the wrong side of history. But the surest way to be on the wrong side of history is to refuse to learn from it, ultimately dooming yourself to repeat its mistakes.
Find the Ancient Paths
My appeal to you, then, is simple. Don’t settle for the cheap, mass-produced plastic trinkets that are for sale in the marketplace of ideas. But seek out what brought prosperity and peace in the past. Take time to learn from people with gray hair and life experience. Read books – especially the Good Book.
Jeremiah 6:16: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls…” It sounds like a great invitation! But how did the people of old respond to the Lord’s invitation? The verse goes on to tell us: “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.'” They rejected the ancient paths in favor of a system of thought that, at the time, seemed new and relevant. And it didn’t go well for them.
If you and I aren’t careful, history will repeat itself. I’m concerned that even Christians are being lured away from these ancients paths. People no longer care about the issues that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. They have forgotten about the historical confessions of faith that summarize faithful Biblical teaching. They neglect their Bibles, and instead learn their theology from Christian comedians, musicians, and celebrities who are similarly unrooted.
Does this sound like a safe path to you? You still have time to find firm ice – to recover those ancients paths that our society is rapidly abandoning. What will you stake your life on? What path will you take?