Hidden Histories

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:19 – “Then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.” (NRSVUE)

History is not always written by the richest and most powerful, not if you dig deeper than the surface. I am old enough to have discovered this fact long ago, but it can be both heartening and discouraging when I am confronted with it. A few things happened in the last few days that reminded me that there are always gaps in what we know.

At the UCC Historical Council/Pilgrim Press Luncheon on Saturday, I got to stand in front of Barbara Brown Zikmund (I wish it was more). BBZ is considered the greatest of all UCC historians and is well known for students of UCC History and Polity as the editor of Hidden Histories in the United Church of Christ, which looks at more than just the “four streams” to uncover the stories that are forgotten or easily overlooked. With her in mind, I started looking for other “hidden histories”.

On Sunday, I was lucky enough to go on the KC History Bus Tour, which explored various sites around Kansas City which are significant to the Black community. I’ve been on many bus tours in my time, and to be honest, most focus on touristy sites or grand buildings of the rich and famous. Here we drove through areas that were formerly segregated or redlined away, and which were still modest and even rundown today. Several of the people on the bus gasped when the house of baseball great Satchel Paige was a burned-out and abandoned shell. And yet Kansas City is much more than the glitzy Country Club Plaza or trendy Power & Light District near our hotel.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine gifted me Sceptred Isle by Helen Carr, a history of England in the 14^th century. It was a fun read, but most of it focused on the adventures of kings and lords. I love these sorts of dramatic narrative histories, but I know that they tell a very partial story. It can be easy to be caught up in the spectacular and miss the day-to-day histories that truly build the communities we know.

Especially in the historical books, the Bible, too, tells of the spectacular with miracles, heroic prophets, and mighty and wicked kings. But every once in a while, something different slips through the cracks. For example, we all know that David killed Goliath, right? But later in the Second Book of Kings, a man named Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim is described as killing him. Does this reflect an alternate, truer version that does not tie into the glorious beginnings of the great King David? It might be a kind of hidden history from thousands of years ago, buried in a chapter no one reads.

These are lessons not only for historians and history buffs like me, but also for all of us today. Don’t get tricked into thinking that the headlines or the clickbait links are all there is to life. Listen to people who are easy to overlook. We will learn a lot more about our histories, our presents, and how we can live into a more just and peaceful future.

Prayer: God, help me see beyond the surface to find the people, events, and faith that truly represent the presence of your still, small voice. Amen.