“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.” Oliver Cromwell

The endless summer of 2020 has led to an endless autumn of reruns on the tube. With a lack of viewing choices and all the other rhetoric pouring into the air waves, we have resorted to watching old movies. Sometimes we hit on a good one. I highly recommend the movie “Cromwell,” with Richard Harris playing the part of Cromwell and Alec Guinness as King Charles the first of England. Two stellar stars told us this flick was going to be a winner and we were not disappointed.

I am a firm believer in history repeating itself and how we never seem to learn much from the past. I also love going back in time to see how nations were formed and how God has been involved in the forming of our own country.

The above quote from Oliver Cromwell was given in a speech he made to Parliament upon its dissolution some time after the king had been beheaded and the nation was under the newly formed Commonwealth of England. As with all civil unrest, there comes corruption and mishandling of the transition of power. This was not untrue of the members of that same body. Money and bribes were part of their administration of the law. Those involved in governing the country were easily bought. Isn’t it interesting how this seems to be the modus operandi when power is involved?

When you think about it, the ones who suffer most are the common people – those who provide services, set up small businesses, try to eek out a living. We have learned to rely on our government to figure everything out for us. How very sad that we don’t look back and learn instead of believing we’re being brand new in our thinking. History is a great teacher, yet many of our lessons have been squashed or removed from the records, never to be heard of again.

King Solomon in all his wisdom and knowledge, knew that there was nothing new under the sun. What has happened will happen again. We cannot change it nor erase it, but we should learn from the past mistakes.

Ecclesiastes 1: 9-11 “What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.”