Is This for Real?

Doomed to Repeat History

May 27, 2008 on 6:27 pm | In History, Philosophy, Western Culture | Comments Off

This is a discussion posting I wrote for a Humanities course that I am taking. I decided to post it here for posterity.

I love what I like to call “mental morsels”. I am talking about those interesting little tidbits of information that you get when studying subjects like this where certain elements of cultural development and etymology are discussed. These kinds of thoughts that the mind can savor, are some of what makes history so important to me.

One such rational repast is connection of creation to the Egyptian goddess Ma’at, to the Greek word logos, as it is used to describe the Word, Jesus Christ in John 1:1. This whole concept really piqued my interest. As described in the lessons and some other research that did, Ma’at was represented by twin girls symbolizing Truth and Order. (This is also near to my heart because I have twin girls.) According to the pagan Egyptian philosophy, the goddess Ma’at was present at creation, involved in creation, and also in some ways sustains creation. Being great in philosophy and abstract thought, the Greeks had a way of absorbing and homogenizing the thoughts, religion, and philosophy of the different cultures they encountered. They took the concept of Ma’at in the Greek word ‘logos’. In our limited English language we merely translate the word ‘logos’ to the word ‘word’. This Greek word logos is found in John 1:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

As readers of Greek, the original audience would have had a much richer understanding of the concept that God’s Word is communicating. The real God, not merely a god, the real Truth and Order, was at creation with God, and is in fact Creator God. We also see this concept further expounded upon in Colossians 1:16-18:
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

The whole concept of Ma’at as understood by ancient culture was used to give understanding of the truth as clarified in the scriptures. Jesus Christ is not part of some polytheistic collective. He is not subordinate to any. He is also not female. Jesus is Creator God. He keeps it all together, and all creation is about giving Him first-place. There is no room for doubt here; Jesus is God. Can I get a witness?!

How is this relevant to the importance of history? Old Testament history makes this clear that since the beginning of time, people knew that there was a Creator, but they went their own way after the fall of humankind (Genesis 3). People began to invent their own rules, their own morality, their own value systems apart from God (Genesis 4-6). The truth slipped away, and was replaced with fables. I am hypothesizing that there must have been some thread of truth that carried the concept of creation through to the Egyptians that found it’s way to the symbolism of Ma’at. Because of their past knowledge of Creation, they could not help but to include some concepts of truth in their systems of philosophy and religion.

The period of Western culture that we live in now is referred to as ‘Postmodern’. It appears that Postmodern culture is repeating the mistakes of humanity’s most ancient ancestors. In doing so we are inventing our own rules, morality, and value systems apart from God. We are repeating the mistakes of the ancient Egyptians. In doing so we are turning away from God to spiritual symbolism. We are repeating the mistakes of the Greeks. In doing so we are absorbing and homogenizing the thoughts, religion, and philosophy of the different cultures of the world without a foundation of absolutes. Once again the truth slips away, and is replaced by fables. Thus, this phase of Postmodern culture has earned the term ‘PostChristian’. This shouldn’t be a surprise. God told us this was going to happen in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
George Santayana said “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I guess history is not very important to us at all. Our culture is repeating the ancient mistakes all over again. If only we’d learn.