October 12: Columbus Day

October 12:  Columbus Day

The first celebration of this holiday occurred in 1792, when New York’s Colombian Order, Tammany Hall, held an event to observe the historic landing’s 300th anniversary. Although during this time period it was celebrated unofficially, it did not become a federal, official holiday until 1937 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Since then, our nation has been engaged in what is known as “revisionist history.”  Rather than attempting to describe historical events in context, based on the writings of those involved, we have begun to rewrite history.  The outcome has been a disaster.  We have begun to judge all historical figures and events by today’s standards.  In other words, unless people living hundreds, sometimes thousands of years ago, embraced today’s standards and values, they are deemed less than human.  Slavery is a classic example.  As evil an institution as ever existed, slavery was practiced by every civilization and every people since time began.  Today, we recognize this terrific sin for what it is.  

This is no way absolves those from the past!  They will be held responsible before God for the choices they made.  But as cultures evolve and as nations live out the true meaning of their ideals, things change, often for the better, as in this case.  To hold the founders of our country to a standard that did not exist in their own day is historical irresponsible.  A classic example is the current 1619 Project.

This practice is no more pronounced than in the treatment of Christopher Columbus.  He is currently portrayed as a genocidal, racist maniac who willfully and gladly enslaved and decimated vast numbers of indigenous peoples.  As Christ-followers, it is critical that we learn from the past.  It is incumbent upon us to carefully exegete history. 

This means that we have one primary responsibility, and it’s a tough one.  When you study history, rely as much as possible on primary sources.  That means, read what Columbus himself and his contemporaries wrote.  This is true for the study of all history.  That can be tough because writing styles, idioms and figures of speech often leave us wondering what we have read.  But we must rediscover this fundamental method for the study of history.  

Accounts of the past, written by those who did not live it, are always biased.  Always.  This is why it is critical that we look to the past as recorded by those who were there.  The same can be said for our study of God’s Word.  So, this Columbus Day, Google the writings of the man himself.  What you will find is quite different than what you read in today’s history textbooks.