Dear Friends:

Christian Education includes a healthy dose of history. Our main text, the Bible, is a collection of historical documents. When we read the letters in the New Testament, we are reading someone else's mail, albeit very old mail. We are delving into history when we read Biblical literature. The task of Christian Education is to build a bridge between that history and our lives today. If we were bored in history class as students, we likely did not realize the great value of understanding our past. If we truly understand history, we have a better chance of understanding our current situation.

Our current situation seems to be challenging us in ways we may have not experienced before. A global pandemic, political unrest, and the stress of living in the information age all press down on us each day. History reminds us that others have survived difficult times. History reminds us that the Creator can be sought out to offer us comfort. History reminds us that we can learn from those who have gone before us. As the apostle wrote to the church in Corinth, "these things happened as examples for us..." (1 Cor. 10.6).

May we study our past with open minds and embrace our current living with faithful spirits.

Joyfully yours,

Paul