Ancient and Modern

"To show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,
 the oath he swore to our father Abraham"
Luke 1.72-73

Our society has a strong emphasis on being new. New is always better. Whereas in almost every other culture, what the elders think has held most sway, now it is what the youth think. So if there is ever a political decision where the split falls along age lines, it is the youth's position which is seen as the better one.

This elevation of the 'new' is a consequence of what historians call the Whig interpretation of history. Emerging in the 18th and 19th centuries this is the idea that society is on an upward trajectory towards freedom, liberty and truth. The outcome though, has been an arrogance towards the past and towards those who appeal to the past. For the church this has led to a view that the church must change or die. It must, in the words of a former Prime Minister, "Get with the programme." Some of this is helpful when it deals with the format of our services and mission, but it is dangerous when applied to our faith and worship.

Deep down there are problems with the 'new is better' view. The first is historical: there is no evidence that the world is a better place than it was. There is more democracy, but there is still war and there is growing global inequality. The second is conceptual: if new is always better, then what I believe now must be wrong, because one day it will become old! When someone excitedly tells me that they used to think as I did, but now they've realised that it was wrong - they do so with zeal and passion. But there is always the possibility in my mind that if they were wrong once, might they not be wrong now?!

Into this unstable and insubstantial worship of the new, the ancient word of God to the people of God is a wonderful refuge and rock. We can rejoice in the ancient character of God's salvation plan unfolding to his undeserving people. When we read the creeds, we don't need to be afraid that they are outdated, but we can rejoice that the truth of the gospel has stood the test of time. Even more, when we read Zechariah's words we can rejoice that God's word has spanned many generations , hundreds of cultures and thousands of miles and yet tells one story of a saviour king who will be born to save his people.