Memories observed from 40,000 feet

In the fifth chapter of The End of Memory Volf continues his quest to find the answer to the question, “How can we enjoy the blessing of memory without suffering its curses?” Thus far he has called us to remember truthfully, and to remember intentionally so as to seek healing for all. To remember wrongs done to us this way causes us to not be preoccupied with self but to remember for the sake of the good of others. But he reminds us that memories of wrongs suffered seem to speak confusing messages. So, how do we remember well? From 40,000 feet. When we are able to survey the entire landscape, we have a greater chance of seeing not merely the most intrusive memories but also how they fit into the sacred story of God’s creation.

Much of the rest of this chapter is given to consider the illustration of the Exodus story and Christ’s death and resurrection. These exemplar stories are used within Judaism and Christianity to put all other stories in their proper places. These stories contain painful events but they also help clarify identity (as children of God), shared community with other children, God as rescuer, and a hope for a future. All other memories fit into these sacred memories in one place or another.
The challenge for us is to make sure that we do not allow any one memory of our own to blind our ability to remember the entire sacred story of suffering and salvation. It is a real challenge as memories of wrongs suffered have the capacity to hide all other aspects of identity, shared community with others, God as rescuer, and any hope for a future.

I like how he uses these stories in his own life: The Exodus story “assured me that God is a God of justice; the memory of the Passion nudged me to try to love those who seemed to me to deserve the very opposite of love.” (96)

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In another little tidbit, Volf explores why the call to remember the Holocaust does not cause us to spring into action when other genocides begin (e.g., Rwanda, Sudan, Bosnia, etc.). Why? Some will think of political reasons while others will consider lack of love. However, Volf suggests another: the Holocaust had a clear victim and a clear offender. The longer the conflict goes on, the less clear the differences between victim and perpetrator. Victims may have be prior attackers and so we are apt to be paralyzed to move in these situations.