The Good Old Way

The spiritual in "Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?" has the phrase, "the good old way."  I got to thinking about the "good old way" the other day, and these thoughts are quite mixed. 

The "good old way" feels a lot like coming home.  It feels like safety, comfort, agreement with history, revisiting what is known.  In terms of faith, it feels something like "agreeing with God, and God knowing I agree."  Tension ebbs, relaxation and vigor increases.

In terms of what we really get with the "good old way," however, we get more than we bargained for.

We get. . .

• racism
• sexual oppression
• hypocrisy
• Sunday-go-to-meetin' participants
• most people living in poverty
• undo deference being given to power (economic or political)
• the use of religion to shackle people

just to name some of the less worthy parts of "the good old way."

I speak not only of the Christian faith (but that is easy to see).  How about the good old way in China?  Old enough for binding feet and making cripple of young girls and women? 

How about the "good old way" of Islam, when villages were slaughtered and conquest was more important than faith?

How about the "good old way" in Hindu cultures, with the caste system and god-awful poverty rampant?

The more I ponder it, the "good old way" wasn't very good.  It's just sort of familiar. 

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.