The Whole Truth

There are many different theories as to what determines the course of history. Empires? Men of greatness? Movements, social change, war, economics? The ways in which one can approach the past are virtually limitless. However, these theories, when taken apart from the true Prime Mover of time and space, are utterly meaningless. History is not solely determined by great men or the conditions in which men find themselves, but by God. The motivations of humanity and the workings of the past can all be explained and properly interpreted when the corruption of man is recognized and the redemptive providence of God is applied and used as the lens through which we examine the annals of history. In my historiography class, we discussed the issue of the Whole versus the Partial, the Whole being the entirety of history, with all its depth and infinite complexity, whereas the Partial is far more limited, being only one piece of the puzzle. A particular historian may be an expert on one aspect of the Partial, giving incredible detail and expounding upon various minutiae, but without an understanding of the Partial within the context of the Whole, history cannot be fully interpreted. To understand the Whole, we need the Truth. How did history begin? Why do things happen the way that they do? Where does the Whole originate? As Christians, we recognize that God, the Creator, is the Prime Mover, the one who governs all and directs the world according to his perfect will. He is the Truth, the source from which flows all other truth. Without the Truth and our acceptance of our position in history as fallen creatures, we miss a vital piece of the puzzle. God is the key to understanding history. Without him, history is worthless.