Before Pictures
Originally scheduled for January 27
It is not generally a good idea to ask a
grandmother whether or not she happens to have a few pictures of the
grandchildren — that is, if you’re a little short of time. This is
particularly true if the grandchildren live at some distance; if
it’s not possible to visit the grandchildren, pictures are the next
best thing. They keep you up-to-date with what the children are
doing, so that you feel that you’re watching them grow. And of
course, they are insufferably cute. If this is your situation you
will eventually here grandma come running into the room with a
picture in a hand, yelling out to you, “He’s standing up!”
Even if your grandchildren don’t live at a
distance, the pictures themselves are kept in cabinet drawers,
cardboard boxes, albums and various other places. Photographs are
memories of the mind; you see, and thus you remember. Most of us can
remember a time when we sat down with grandma and she showed us the
pictures from her life. It was fun to listen to her say, “oh that’s
cousin so-and-so” especially when cousin so-and-so was the one who
ran off to Australia and hasn’t been heard from since. We like to be
able to pull our memories out of the files every now and then.
Of course, the most common use of photographs
among grandmothers is what is referred to as the “brag book.” You
use it to show your friends what the kids look like — which of
course invites them to do the same with their grandchildren. But
isn’t that like friends? Don’t we always share our good things with
our friends?
It’s hard to imagine this, but most of humanity
passed without the photographic camera. Have you ever wondered what
we did before we had pictures of our grandchildren?
·
We told stories — and sometimes we
wrote them down and letters. Those who are Civil War history buffs
know that much of the history is written in the form of letters to
and from home. The map of the campaign may be in the official
records; the mud that you slept in is in the letters.
·
We kept diaries — sometimes with the
intention that they be read, and other times with the thought that
we were sharing our thoughts only with ourselves. Diaries aren’t
always honest, but almost always they are personal. Memories are
personal.
·
Another way we kept the past was
through ritual. We still do this to some extent today; some of us
for example make tea in grandma’s teapot on special occasions. To a
little child this helps hold on to the memory of grandma.
Communion, you will recall, was created for us
in a time when there were no photographs. So we have to use the
older methods. Like our ancestors, it’s a story we tell,
particularly to those who are younger. Children are inherently
curious about this ritual in your church; when you tell them about
it, they connect with the memories you have. In this way you share
the story that you were told when you were a child. This story was
kept for us in biographies written at the time. They tell us the
story, but our Lord knew we needed something more than that.
So he gave us a ritual. A ritual has the
advantage that you repeat it very often, and each element has its
own specific meaning. It’s there to help us remember. So as you
partake this morning, remember what this ritual means, the sacrifice
on the Cross. As you are commanded, examine yourself, so that you
may take in a worthy manner. Then, after remembering, take the cup
and the bread, thinking of the One who died for you.
