Remembering

 April 19, 2023

It’s not unusual for people my age to complain about all the things they can’t remember, like “Where are my car keys?” “Why did I go into that room?” 

One time when our two oldest grandchildren were little, we were driving to Canada. Their parents were in the vehicle ahead of us, but we had the girls. And their papers. At the crossing, the border agent asked who we had with us in the back seat. “Our granddaughters,” I answered.

“What are their names?” My mind went completely blank. Linda was immediately frantic. I think she could see us cuffed for kidnapping.

“Alex and Abi!” she shouted.

The agent leaned into my open window, looked at the girls and asked, “Do you feel safe with these people?” Memory is a fickle friend.

This morning while at breakfast with my friend Rich, we were talking about remembering. We remember past sins so clearly, and have a penchant for confessing them repeatedly. But if God who when he forgives confessed sin also forgets it, is confessing it again an act of unbelief? I can imagine god saying to such confessions, “Didn’t you believe me when I told you it’s forgiven?”

The thought occurred to me that the issue with remembering past sins isn’t confession and forgiveness, but cleansing. Sin, even old sins long since forsaken, has such spiritual filth that even the remembrance of it contaminates like the slimy trail left behind a slug. The sin has been forgiven, but the memory needs to be cleansed, often repeatedly.

Such cleansing doesn’t come through repeated repentance, but through prayerful thanksgiving for the grace and mercy of God, and through the discipline of bringing every thought captive to Christ.