Have We Forgotten?

This past week we experienced two difficult anniversaries.

Twenty-five years ago, terrorists attacked the United States, killing nearly 3,000 people and forever changing the way a generation viewed the world. One year ago, Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.

These events were very different in many ways, but both confronted us with some of the same uncomfortable realities: evil is real. Human life is precious. Our time on this earth is limited. And the way we respond to one another matters.

In the aftermath of September 11, something seemed to change in us. Neighbors cared for neighbors. Churches filled. People prayed. We mourned together. Differences that had seemed so important suddenly seemed remarkably small. We recognized that something truly evil had happened, and many people seemed to turn their attention toward God.

In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder, we saw many of those same themes surface again. People talked about Jesus. People prayed. People wrestled with the value of human life. There was renewed discussion about whether we could disagree with one another without hating one another—and without turning to violence.

But now, as these anniversaries have come and gone, I find myself asking: Have we forgotten?

Have we forgotten how precious our neighbors are?

Have we forgotten that evil is real?

Have we forgotten that disagreement does not require hatred?

Have we forgotten God?

The Danger of Forgetting

There is a fascinating moment in Joshua 4 that I think speaks directly to this. After God miraculously brought the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land, He instructed Joshua to have twelve men take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan and set them up as a memorial.

And God told them why.

When their children asked, “What do these stones mean?” the Israelites were to tell them the story of what God had done. He had brought them through the Jordan. He had faithfully led His people to the land He had promised them.

The stones were there to help them remember.

God knew something about the human heart. We forget.

We forget what God has done. We forget His faithfulness. We forget His goodness. And when we forget, we begin to live differently.

That’s why Scripture repeatedly tells God’s people to remember.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses warned the Israelites that even prosperity could become a spiritual danger. Once they had entered the Promised Land and experienced abundance, they might begin to believe that their own strength had accomplished it all.

Moses told them not to forget the LORD.

The danger wasn’t simply forgetting a fact about their history. The danger was forgetting God—and allowing that forgetfulness to reshape the way they lived.

What Do We Need to Remember?

I wonder if that’s part of what we need to recover today.

We need to remember that evil is real—and that pretending otherwise doesn’t make it disappear.

We need to remember that human beings are made in the image of God—and therefore every human life possesses extraordinary value.

We need to remember that our neighbors are not our enemies simply because they vote differently, think differently, or see the world differently.

We need to remember that we can stand firmly for what is true without abandoning love.

We need to remember that conviction is not cruelty, and disagreement is not dehumanization.

And we need to remember what Jesus has called His followers to do.

Love your neighbor.

Love your enemies.

Forgive.

Make peace.

Stand against evil.

Be light in the darkness.

Remember God

But even these reminders aren’t enough if they ultimately only point back to us.

The stones in Joshua 4 weren’t erected so Israel could spend their days admiring the stones. They were there to point the people to God.

Look what He has done.

Remember who He is.

Remember His faithfulness.

Remember His promises.

Surely this is the reminder we need most.

When we look at the darkness around us, remember God.

When evil seems overwhelming, remember God.

When we are tempted to hate those who disagree with us, remember God.

When fear takes hold, remember God.

He is still God. He is still good. He is still sovereign. He is still worthy of our trust. And He is still calling His people to live differently.

Don’t Just Remember

Anniversaries are valuable because they force us to stop and remember.

But remembering isn’t the ultimate goal.

Living differently because we remember is the goal.

What good is remembering that human life is precious if we continue treating people as disposable?

What good is remembering that evil is real if we refuse to stand against it?

What good is remembering that our neighbors matter if we spend our days despising them?

What good is remembering God’s faithfulness if we continue living as though everything depends on us?

The standing stones of Joshua 4 were intended to shape the future by reminding God’s people of the past.

Maybe that’s what we need, too.

Remember what God has done.

Remember who He is.

Remember what He has called us to do.

Love your neighbor. Stand against evil. Show mercy. Make peace. And above all, follow Jesus.

The headlines will eventually fade. The arguments will be forgotten. The anniversaries will pass.

But God will still be God.

So let’s not merely remember what happened.

Let’s remember what God has called us to be—and then live like people who remember.