By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I saw these gentlemen from across the way and made it a point to get closer so I could see better.  The two men were walking the sidewalks of the Boston Common.  They periodically stopped to engage in some sort of conversation with onlookers, but they seemed to be just walking around minding their own business.

Two Revolutionary War-era men in modern day America.  A quick glance in their direction might lead one to think he had stepped back into the past.  Enjoyable to see and watch, these guys were obviously giving the public a glimpse into a time long ago.

We wander around our world, ever busy, always on the go, not paying much attention to anything – much less anyone – around us.  But what if we stopped to pay attention, even for just a few minutes?  We might get a glimpse into the past.

We might see the grandparent struggling with mobility now, but who not so long ago would have been down on their knees with the grand-kids in the front yard.  We might see the young family perusing items in the “dollar-aisle” of the store because his employment of yesterday has come to an abrupt end, and money is stretched.  We might see times of days past in which there seemed to be more kindness, love, and compassion for one another.  We might hear the laughter and giggles of children who now have grown into anxiety-filled lives full of misundertood purpose.

Admittedly, I don’t know what those two dressed up characters were doing that afternoon, but I do know they gave a large crowd of people several minutes of uninterrupted entertainment that took us miles and years away from the troubles of the day.

Perhaps our role today is not necessarily to dress up and pretend to be someone or somewhere in the past, but to remind those who watch us that life is full of good memories, laughter, and child-like wonder that will never grow old.  As you love your neighbors this week, keep in mind that they each bear the weight of the past.  Perhaps we can bring the good memories to the forefront with a gentle reminder that God’s blessings upon us all are abundantly evident in our past, in our today, and in our tomorrow.

Just a thought.