What’s Past is Prologue – Sunday, January 04, 1053
There is a comforting line from Shakespeare, which, in one short sentence has much to suggest: “What’s past is prologue.”1 It is a plea, for hope, for new beginnings, for not brooding about what cannot now be reclaimed or recalled, a plea for faith in the future—a plea for repentance.
No matter what we have done or failed to do, our opportunity is from here on, and blessedly, through the principle of repentance, “What’s past is prologue.” For some reason or other repentance has not always seemed to be a popular principle.
The prophets have been driven and denounced, ridiculed and rejected for crying repentance. But in reality, it should be the most popular of principles because none of us is perfect and all of us have need for repentance and would be hopelessly lost without it.
Over and over, we are comforted by this strengthening, sustaining thought: Our Father in heaven knows us. He knows our hearts; He knows our difficulties and desires; He knows our mistakes, our problems, our sorrows, our shortcomings. He knows the motives by which we are moved and the influences by which we are swayed. He knows why we do what we do and why we fail to do what we should have done. He knows the reasons we fall short of being the best we might be. He knows our needs and he has sent us here not to fail but to succeed. And if we will only give Him an opportunity in our lives, He will help to lift us to our highest possibilities and happiness and peace and progress.
And whatever we have done or fallen short of doing, “What’s past is prologue,” and before us, with His help, is the opportunity to improve our performance. And if we will prayerfully approach Him and invite Him into our daily acts and utterances, we shall find the sunlight dispelling the shadows.
There is no more helpful principle in life than the principle of sincere repentance. And whatever we may have failed in as a people, as a nation, as mothers, fathers, friends, as children, as loved ones, as citizens in a troubled society, the hope we have is in the great power and privilege of repentance.
“What’s past is prologue”—and the everlasting future is before us to improve.
1Shakespeare, The Tempest
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January 04, 1953
Broadcast Number 1,220