Forget Me Not

DO NOT FORGET

God of our fathers, known of old – Lord of our far flung battle line

Beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over palm and pine

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget - lest we forget!

About 100 years ago, the British poet Rudyard Kipling saw into the future and wrote a poem called “Recessional.” It was written during the height of British imperial power. As the saying went, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” Her power and influence covered the globe. It had mostly been spread by force. British armies and navies were the best in the world, and trade and political reforms followed in their wake. In many ways their rule was benign, especially when compared to some the other conquests history has recorded. The British put a lid on cannibalism in Africa, stopped the practice of suttee - that is, burning widows alive on their husbands’ funeral pyres - in India - and were the first nation on earth to make slave trading illegal. But it was still power, it was still imposed by force, and all too often it was power exercised in pride and greed rather than in humility and service. And Kipling knew that their power would come to an end. Because all power comes to an end, except the power of God. But the British did forget.

The tumult and the shouting dies – the Captains and the Kings depart

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, an humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget lest we forget!

By the end of WWII, Britain had lost most of her far-flung empire . . . and her identity as a Christian nation as well. There was a brief revival in the years immediately following the war, but in the 21st century, although a majority still call themselves Christians, only 50% of those actually believe in God, and Sunday church attendance is down to 6%. Which came first? The loss of faith, or the loss of empire? I do not know. But I do know that with success comes loss of dependence on God. Moses knew that, and warned the Israelites as he was preparing them to cross over the Jordan and build a country.

Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. [De 8:11-14]

America has power, too. We can’t help it. We’re rich - in land, in raw materials, in people - in virtually every material asset you can name. We have the best armed forces in the world. People risk their lives to come here, and clamor to imitate our lifestyle from blue jeans to IPODS. We are successful beyond the wildest imaginings of our ancestors. The poorest of our poor are plutocrats compared to the peasant in Kazakhstan or Djibouti. But most of our population has no idea that we owe it all to God. We have forgotten. Even people who call themselves Christian, and follow Jesus to the extent of their knowledge, do not know that we owe everything we have to our benevolent - more than benevolent - our lavish God. And because of that, we may not survive as a people when our power fades. Which it will, because all power fades, except that which is built on obedience to God.

Far called our navies melt away – on dune and headland sinks the fire

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, lest we forget lest we forget!

The book of Deuteronomy is basically Moses’ commentary on the Exodus and the history of the people whom God had brought out of slavery in Egypt. They’re probably jumping out of their sandals with eagerness to cross over into Canaan and take possession of the land of milk and honey which God had promised so long ago and which had been dangling in front of their eyes for forty years. And what does Moses do? He stops them in their tracks and makes them look back. Moses calls them to remembrance. Because out of remembrance comes obedience, and out of obedience comes safety. Protection. Confidence. Peace, and justice, and abundance without end.

Some people think that this part of the book is sort of boring, because it’s a repetition of some of the rules and regulations for worship which God had prescribed for the Hebrew people. And some people think that it’s not only boring, it’s irrelevant, because we don’t have the tabernacle or the temple, after all, and most of us aren’t farmers or herdsmen, so what has it got to do with us?