In the previous chapter of The End of Memory Volf determined that memory of wrongs suffered was an ambiguous event that could either heal or be used to harm self and other. In this chapter (3) he takes on the issue of determining how one benefits from memories of evil without also drinking the oft accompanying poison of hate or fear. On p. 42-3 he sets up his belief and concern:
Learning to remember well is one key to redeeming the past; and the redemption of the past is itself nestled in the broader story of God’s restoring of our broken world to wholeness–a restoration that includes the past, present, and future….Will I feel secure in the midst of abiding insecurities in the world, or will I always feel exposed to threats? (He offers many more similar questions regarding healing, justice, and meaning on p. 43).
To make movements toward healing, one must remember AND speak truthfully wrongs suffered by the hand of another. How do we do this? Volf explores 3 areas:
First, one must explore basic presuppositions about truth: truth about self, God, and world; truth about past, present, and future. Volf’s presuppositions about the world?
1. God created us in love
2. We are not left alone; God created us to be in communion with Him and others
3. We are not left alone to deal with evil, God enters humanity through Christ and reconciles us through the cross
4. True life will be restored to the redeemed at the end of time
5. The evil one and suffering will not have the final word–full restoration and reconciliation will happen.
Second,one has to first consider the veracity of memory. This is a touchy subject for those who remember wrongs suffered AND were told the events did not/could not have happened. However, we must acknowledge that the “temporal gap” between a past event and our present tense remembering leaves room for “falsehood to slip in, for imagination to supply what memory is lacking” (45). Embellishment (though many times unintentional) is quite possible when we tell stories of our experiences to others. Further, the “sense of familiarity with the process of remembering” increases our confidence with the fact thereby increasing the likelihood that we may pass on certain “fictions for truths.” By the way, Volf points out that there is a big difference between adding facts to make one look better or more of a victim and remembering some complex and very old facts wrongly–the latter is more understandable and forgivable. So, we must conclude that memory is always only an approximation of an event, and one that is fraught with certain dangers and susceptible to alteration (either to minimize or maximize).
Third,the act of speaking truth about perpetrators of abuse requires that we do so in love. We must not speak of their evil acts out of context. Example: one violent act need not be minimized if we also recognize a life of altruism by an individual. Volf explores the biblical image of love covering a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). This does NOT mean that we whitewash a wrongdoing (p. 64),
for doing so would obscure the truth! Instead, after their sins have been confessed, condemned, and forgiven–if they have been confessed, condemned, and forgiven!–they should be ‘hidden,’ ‘covered,’ ‘dispersed,’ that is ‘forgotten’ out of love toward the forgiven transgressor.
Remembering and speaking truthfully is the beginning of justice AND the first step toward reconciliation. When perpetrators remember falsely, they perpetuate the injustice. When victims deny or embellish their suffering, they also add fuel to the fire. Volf seems to focus on the problems with memory that lead us to maximize the wrongs done to us. While this may be true of many, I find that those who have been sexually traumatized tend to minimize the wrongs done to them. They want the perpetrators, especially if they are family, to look better than they really do. This may be denial of reality however it is also likely the result of a child being bombarded with many conflicting messages as to what was really true. Since the topic is related, I will soon post some thoughts about False Memory Syndrome.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 