It's true.

Once upon a time I was a little girl sitting at my grandma's feet listening to her tales of yesteryear. She told tales that her grandma had told her and I know her grandma once told her grandchildren tales that her grandma had told her...each told tales of terror in their times and each told tales of how much "better" things were in their day...how much more "innocent" times were in their day.

I will never tell my children or grandchildren one day that life was better when I was a child.

 I might tell them about being able to walk through an airport and right up to the terminal without anything more than a metal detector and a kind wave from an elderly woman as you walked through. 

I might also tell them about open air elementary schools with no gates when your Daddy could just walk to your classroom and meet you for lunch. 

I will tell them about being allowed to ride my bike and play down the street until the street lights came on at night and being able to have block parties and trick or treat with friends while my parents visited with other adults instead of watching me.  

But I won't tell them that people were more innocent..that there was any less sin, or pain, or death, or fear. Perhaps the only thing was that we were more naive. But you're always more naive or more hopeful after reform or after being forgiven.

History repeats itself. Why? Because we are no different than Adam and Eve. We are sinners through and through.

In church young catechumens learn the cycle of sin for the Christian: we sin, the law convicts us, we repent, we are absolved (forgiven), God's Word and Sacraments strengthen us to resist sin and the devil and urge us to good works. Repeat. 

For the world it is no different. There is war, the people of war are convicted of the evil at hand or at least hate the effect it has on their lives, a truce occurs either in the form of victory or both sides laying down arms, a new hierarchy is formed, the people regroup and try to create a better community.

When I think back on our American ancestors and how they must have felt after they won the American Revolution and think of the hope they must have felt at a new nation forming it doesn't make me sad about what is currently happening in our country or make me wish we could go back to when our forefathers "had it figured out". Because as a Christian I know these are but birth pains. Wars will continue, countries will rise and fall, people get power hungry and then have to be set straight, but Christ is coming as He said. Eyes on the skies folks. :)

Christ keep you.