Amid the flurry of preparations for my oldest son’s wedding, I paused with my husband and my younger two sons and looked at over a dozen family wedding pictures we had framed to display on a heritage table at the reception. The photos covering our table represented more than a century of family weddings.
“This is our story,” I said.
“It’s history,” my son Caleb reflected.
As we looked at those old photos, we saw ourselves and each other in the faces of the past. I recognized the browline of my oldest son, Nathan, in the photo of my great-grandfather. I saw his smile in my father’s picture. I saw the jawline and expression of my son, Joshua, in my husband’s grandfather. I saw myself in my great-grandmother and my parents.
We all sensed the fact that who we are is because of those who came before us. There are pieces of them in each of us. There will likely be pieces of each of us that become a part of the generations that follow. Our stories are written through chapters of the past.
Concordia is celebrating a special birthday this school year which is the school's 90th! As we examine pictures and documents from the past history of the school, we will undoubtedly see bits of the past in the present. – and not just the historic auditorium seats! Concordia is here today because of those who have invested in her history. There are pieces of the past in each of us and there will be pieces of each of us in the legacy of those who come after us.
I spend a lot of time talking about stories with students. We study literature, in part, to better understand the stories of ourselves and others. We see our flaws and sins in the folly of some characters and our redemption and potential for nobility in others. I want students to consider their stories. I want them to understand their views, and to be able to express and support their arguments. I want them to have a desire to understand the perspectives of those with whom they disagree. I want them to see the world with all of its beauty, joy, pain, and sin through a biblical lens. I want them to see a universe in need of Jesus Christ. I want them to see their own need for Jesus and their responsibility to share His love with others.
As you celebrate family events and milestones this year, talk about the pieces of your family’s past that make up your story. Reflect on the ways that Concordia is a part of your story and how you can help shape the chapters of Concordia’s story for the next 90 years. Most importantly, consider how sharing your story with others can help them see Jesus at the center of your life and how you can encourage others to keep Jesus at the center of their own stories. What’s your story? Because of Jesus, we can look forward to a glorious ending which is the beginning of eternity in heaven.