The Golden Olden Times

Isn’t this picture lovely? It’s called the Golden Olden Times, and was painted by J.A. Grimshaw around 1870, now hanging at the Harris Art Gallery. It’s very evocative, with its yellowing light, stately trees and fine Victorian mansion. I could live in such a picture. 

Many of us do live in the golden, olden times; our happy memories make us wistful as we behold the present with unease and the future with trepidation. We often sub-consciously delete those files from our memories which are harmful or tedious, while retaining those enjoyable ones we so much wish to repeat. Likewise, Grimshaw’s painting does not depict the scullery maid arriving for work before dawn nor the accident caused by the soggy autumnal leaves left on the road. So stop looking back. Cease turning around, like Lot’s wife. Look ahead, look to heaven, look to Christ. Look to Him who will provide all His children with an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, one that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4).

The Christian’s future is far more golden than his or her past- even the imaginary past, found in paintings and edited memory banks.