Auld Lang Shine

In August of 2008, Eileen, Josh, and I were able to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. Toward the end of that amazing performance by the British Armed Forces and other international military bands, “Auld Lang Syne” is traditionally sung and celebrated by the crowd. For our family, it is a night we will never forget.
 
O.K., admittedly, in my title for today’s blog posting, I tweaked a word in the song title. Just to be clear, Robert Burns wrote the poem in 1788. “Auld Lang Syne” was the title then, and it was set to music eleven years later. If my research is correct, Mr. Burns based this specific piece of poetry on an old Scottish folk song – likely dating back to the Middle Ages. “Old Long Since” would be a more literal translation, while “for the sake of old times” would be a loose capturing of the essence of the meaning of the poem and the song.
 
“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” The question is, of course, rhetorical. Should we forget about our old friends? Never! It is a good thing to reminisce with fondness, and to be grateful for our delightful memories of happy times spent with the people with whom we’ve enjoyed different seasons of life. For auld lang syne!
 
But I changed “syne” to “shine,” and that’s what I’d like to talk with you about today. When you and I remember days gone by, do we first and foremost remember the faithfulness of our God? The Word captures it like this: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). That one verse speaks volumes to us about how we should view the past in the distinct light of the future. And, in Christ, our future is a glorious one!
 
1. Even the most difficult dimensions of our past chapters fall under the umbrella of Christ’s enduring grace. All of us have made tragic mistakes. We have sinned and fallen short. And, sometimes through no fault of our own, each one of us has experienced the painful realities of life on this fallen and broken planet. But that’s not where the story ends! That’s not where it ended for God’s people in Isaiah’s day, and it’s not where it ends for us. God is writing our story, and it’s a great story of a great redemption: “It is finished!”
 
2. In His ceaseless kindness to us, God shares with us His matchless beauty, so that we may attract others to Christ. Here’s the amazing part: we can expect that all kinds of people will come to know the Lord, to fear His name, and to worship Him along with us. You and I will never be perfect witnesses on His behalf, but His Spirit – the Holy Spirit who is already upon us, and in fact living in us – will bless the words of our mouths and the work of our hands for His glory.
 
3. Though we know not the specifics in regard to our future journey, a final glory in Christ is already ours! His eternal goodness is our present possession – already. Yes, our “hope” is in Christ, but that is not the same thing as wishful thinking. To the contrary, Biblical “hope” is the absolutely confident expectation that is already ours. The Truth is ours, here and now! In the words of Charles Wesley: “Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”
 
I’m so glad that the Light has come. Because of Jesus, and only because of Him, you and I have a bright future which we can embrace with cheerful expectancy. All of the glories of this earth will fade away … but Christ will shine forever! And, in Him, so shall we!
 
“And there’s a hand, my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.” In my heart of hearts, I can still hear the bagpipes. To one and all, Happy New Year!
 
Pastor Charles