I’ve noticed a series of videos on social media where this guy gives one word, and he expects viewers to respond with a song title that they first think of that starts with that word. The guy’s theory is that the first song you think of will immediately identify you as a Boomer, a Gen Xer, or a Millennial.
It doesn’t necessarily work that cleanly. One recent video had him say, “Free _____.” I had two immediate thoughts: “Free Bird” and “Free Falling.” “Free Falling” would easily (and rightly) peg me as Gen X, but “Free Bird” came to mind both because I’m a lover of Southern Rock and because UGA pitcher Justin Byrd used the song as his entrance from the bullpen.
Another one was “Hey _____.” Without hesitation, my mind went straight to “Hey Ya.” I know there’s “Hey Jude” and “Hey There, Delilah,” but my brain goes where my brain goes.
Of course, the idea of pegging your generation by a song identification stems from the fact that we’re wired for nostalgia. Certain songs, smells, places, phrases, and even old commercials can unlock memories almost instantly. Sometimes the memory is specific; other times it’s just a feeling — a sense of being transported back to a particular season of life.
It’s why we’re drawn to looking at old photos and eating foods that remind us of our childhood. It’s why old movies and TV shows call us back again and again. And it’s why classic rock stations and yacht rock playlists play on speakers all over the place.
Nostalgia can fool us, of course. Memory has a way of softening rough edges, and the past wasn’t always as good as it looks in the rearview mirror. But the instinct to look back isn’t necessarily a bad one. In fact, scripture repeatedly tells God’s people to remember — not simply to indulge in fond memories, but to remember what the Lord has done.
Throughout the Bible, we see the commands, admonitions, and encouragements to remember. Moses told the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2, ESV).
Later in the same speech, Moses said, “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18, ESV).
Verses from the Psalms encourage us to remember God’s faithfulness. King David wrote, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2, ESV). Another psalmist declared in Psalm 105:5-6 (ESV):
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
The “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 reminds readers of God’s faithful servants and how He rewarded their faith. Two chapters later, the author of Hebrews wrote, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7, ESV).
Related: Enduring to the End
The Israelites had physical reminders of God’s faithfulness as well. The intricate construction of both the tabernacle and temple served as a monument to Yahweh, and when the Israelites began to conquer the Promised Land, the tribes who set up their cities on the eastern side of the Jordan built an altar not for worship but as a reminder of God’s provision and the unity of the tribes of Israel.
Jewish people have celebrated the Passover for millennia because the Lord specifically commanded the Israelites to do so. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast,” Moses told the people in Exodus 12:4.
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
Exodus 13:3, 9-10 (ESV)
Then Jesus established the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of his impending death, burial, and resurrection. He told his disciples to eat the bread and drink the cup — a deliberate echo of the Passover — and to “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, as well as the other gospels and 1 Corinthians 11).
Nostalgia can make us smile at where we’ve been, but biblical remembrance reminds us who God has been. When the Israelites remembered the Red Sea, the wilderness, and the Promised Land, those memories were supposed to give them confidence to trust God with whatever came next. When David remembered what the Lord had done, it gave him reason to praise God in the present. When Christians take the Lord’s Supper, we look back to the cross while also looking forward to Christ’s return.
I guess that’s why God created us with the ability to remember. It’s one thing to reminisce and fondly remember our earlier days, but it’s another thing altogether to look back and see the hand of God in our lives. Remembering what the Lord has done gives us reason to trust what He will do next.
