History is not completely true.
Okay, so that statement will have to be clarified, but first. Let me say that there are great people in history and for that we do have the records. But what I am saying to day is that history does not reflect all the great people.
Today I want to look at, well not so much a myth, but a mis-belief.
So lets jump into it. When we think of great people we tend to cast our eyes backwards into time past, we never really look around. But to explain my previous statement that history is not completely true, well think about it……
History that we know today was recorded by a person or persons, we are therefore subject to whatever bias they or the culture at the time had. Which is not bad, since as humans we all have a bias. The problem arises with what that culture or person views as success. This will determine who is recorded or not recorded. And in this sense we will never get the true reflection of what really happened. We can get a good picture, but not always the full story.
Anyway that is out of the way and not to the topic again. Most of the people we consider the greats (in history) were never really celebrated in their lifetimes (and if they were it was by the few and not the many) Martin Luther King comes to mind, Jesus, and many more……..
Its only once they are gone that we really realise the value. This is why we tend to look back at the greats and not around.
It seems as if we lack the ability to see the true value and insight when its in front of us. We need the evidence first. Also we tend to value greatness against our own value system, which if you look at history can be very wrong. For one lets says Heavens historical records were shown to us, would it look the same? I would think not. God looks at things a bit if not a lot differently than we do.
Our culture heralds Darwin as the man who came up with evolution (they would say observed) Whereas I am not to sure God believes in athiests. But anyway thats a side note.
My question to you today is, are you able to recognise the greatness in those around you on a daily basis? I mean through Heaven’s eyes and not with a worldy perspective on success. I will purposely leave out what I think of Heaven’s view point, as this is another topic completely and can be a subjective one too.
Humanity has always resisted change straight up, but often when they have ridiculed and abused the people, they come to their senses and realise that the change is a necessary one.
My hope is that we learn to realise it sooner than later and not have to go on a long road of fighting each other and wars and stuff simply to come to the simple conclusion that they were right all along.
We all do it to each other in some way. Lets say someone comes up with an idea which seems way out from what you do everday, just because its different we tend to shrug it off. Why not give that new idea a try?
Remember all truth is firstly ridiculed, openly opposed and then accepted as self evident.
THO
The problem is always “written by the victors” says Winston Churchill, but that does not mean that they are always right. It is true that all history is subjective and biased and never really reflects the truth, as there s always two sides to every coin. The problem with seeing the ‘greats’ in our lifetime is that we only equate them when there is mass impact. The impact on a single person is never considered historical.
Hi Garth
I meant that we hardly ever recognise the truly great people while they are with us. Jesus for example, after all the thousands He helped while on earth, when the trouble hit, very few still stood with Him. Today billions are with Him. The number do not equate.
Same for most historical figures. Martin Luther King, compared to the people that celebrated him while he was on earth to now, the numbers do not match.
I was wanting people to start recognising greatness, now while here. Anybody can see greatness in hindsight, that does not require faith, you simply have to read to do that. Seeing greatness and believing it, that takes faith.