Everyone would probably prefer a sign from God, a clear message of what God wants us to do. When Jesus’ contemporaries asked him for such a sign he answered, “no sign will be given, except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus asked the people to remember their own story to see how God works. In the USA currently there is a tendency to ignore the parts of our history that we don’t like. This is a dangerous practice since the good and the bad helped shaped who we are today. In the Church we must have the courage to face the good and the bad alike since our history is the sign that God gives us about how we are to operate today. The ancient Church courageously professed faith in the face of a hostile government. The medieval Church found that insisting on right belief would guide right practice. During the Crusades the Church learned that trying to impose the faith by force was useless. The divisions in the Church throughout history challenge us to work for unity. The Enlightenment taught the Church the importance of articulating the faith in a way that people could understand. The Vatican Council helped us understand what authentic development looks like. Looking at our history equips the Church to fulfill its mission today.
