Will History mean nothing?

‘History means nothing’.

This was the first time I had ever heard anyone say this. Needless to say it surprised me even further when I looked around me realizing that I was standing in a Church that dates back to 1695!

On our second day in Philadelphia, we chose to take a walking tour through the historic landmarks of the city. It was on this tour that I heard the shocking statement that our guide had made. After a pause of about two minutes (which I suspect was for effect), he told us a beautiful story that really touched my heart!

The Christ Church in Philadelphia was the first to ordain an African-American man — Absalom Jones. He was a slave to a store owner in Philadelphia of the 1800s, who purchased his family’s freedom. However, this story is not about the man or the church. It is about an incident that happened at the church. Almost two hundred and ten years later, Mr. Jones’s granddaughter (of six generations) visited the church with her daughter. At the very same time, an old couple was crossing the block. They were the fifth generation of Mr. Jones’s master- the store owner from Philadelphia. They no longer lived in Pennsylvania and were there on a chance visit. Right there, in a matter of a few minutes the families of the master and slave, crossed paths unknowingly. Our guide narrated this story eloquently and said that at that point he had a choice- whether to introduce the families, or let history lie, undisturbed. He chose the latter.

This story, speaks volumes of what we perceive as our current world. For who would have thought in the early 1800s that the slaves will be freed and a brave new world will come into being which has none of the norms that existed then? It is a compelling thought that all that we are and do today may have no meaning in as little at 50 years. It drives me to believe that transient as our lives may be in the larger scheme of things, there is a choice- do we want to work towards creating a history that our future generations will be proud to talk about? Or do we want to be remembered as a society of low tolerance and one that feared the consequences of rocking the boat?

For surely, it is a humbling thought that the path we choose today will ultimately decide the perception of ‘History’. Will it be one that heralds positive change for the future generations or something that is best left languishing in the obscure recesses of the human mind?