Moments in Time:

The wedding, the anniversary, the family reunion, the parade, it doesn’t matter really what the event, if it’s mid- summer in the Maritimes, you can be certain there will be a few of these on your calendar. Last weekend, my cousin and I spent a day sifting through family photos which captured events just like these. The weddings of our parents and grandparents, a few generations of babies and other highlights; graduations, ordinations, family trips to visit relatives who made a life in far off places were among the memories captured in shades of black and white and sepia.  

We quizzed each other about the details of such events, trying to piece together the blanks in our family story. Already thirty years removed from the most recent of these events, even the stories of how our aunts remembered them are somewhat contradictory. One aunt remembers some pieces, another the parts that meant something to her.

I’m pretty sure this is a typical situation for most of us. Even the actual details of events that have shaped our lives are lost to us. Maybe we didn’t care enough when someone was trying to impart our family history to take note. Maybe we didn’t know that the day might come when we did care.It seems to me that this is always how it is when we finally record details of the past. One story conflicts another, one version focuses of the things that are important to that writer and not so much on other details and when it is time for the story to be retold, we tell it with an emphasis on the particular twist we want the audience to hear or read.

Yet those moments in time, can define us. I am reminded of the miniscule details of a life remembered when I hear the stories people share after a loved one has died. It’s like, if you hear a particular story, you will know something of the character of their loved one.The first accounts of the life of Jesus captured in the gospel stories were recorded roughly 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. The gospel accounts of the week leading up to his death paint a fairly complete picture, though even these details conflict. The earlier the story though, the more you realize that the storyteller had other reasons for telling the stories than getting the historic details accurate.

Yet, just because there is some discrepancy does not mean these stories do not hold deep and meaningful, metaphorical and multi layered truths.  The gospels hold the memory of a people deeply influenced by Jesus of Nazareth and the path to life they thought changed the world for the better. I cannot argue. I am deeply appreciative of those who recalled, recanted and recorded these important moments in time for those who care about timeless truths. Reading them from this perspective gives great insight in a faith for today.