Historical Fiction

The approach of one’s fiftieth high school reunion evidently gets the reminiscing juices flowing.  Join me as I journey back to the largest room in which classes were held at Lyman High School, Longwood, Florida (north of Orlando) in the late 60’s.  I suppose it was the school’s original auditorium, but it had been fitted with student desks---wooden ones with chairs attached. Picture 15 rows with maybe 15 or 20 desks in each, perhaps enough to accommodate the entire 300 or so who comprised the class of 1968.  In that room we would receive history lectures from our teacher, Mr. Brewer, a balding middle-aged man familiar to some of us only from a distance.  We were seated alphabetically, and as my last name began with the letter ‘S’ in those days, I was toward the far back of the room, which was fine with me, as that is the preferred spot of all goof-offs. 

One of our regular homework assignments was to read a section of the history textbook and write a few sentences in answer to questions about what we read.  As each class began, we were to pass to the front our sheet of paper with the eight or ten answers we had written the previous night, and after a few days we would receive our papers back with a check mark at the top, indicating we had received credit for the assignment. [For the benefit of our younger readers, paper was a thin wood product of actual substance, on which we could write, by hand, with what we called a pen or pencil. Consult Wikipedia for more details.]  I don’t recall how many weeks I dutifully answered those history questions before it dawned on me that it was highly unlikely that Mr. Brewer actually read every answer.  With hundreds of papers turned in each day, when would he have time to watch Mission: Impossible and Get Smart?  That’s when I determined to have some fun, and test my theory. 

If the question was, for example,

“What was the famous nickname given to Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson, and how and when did he receive it?”

I might answer, 

At the first Battle of the Big Bands held in Manassas, Virginia in July of 1861, General Jackson, not comfortable on the dance floor (having skipped the quarterly West Point dances to stay in his room studying military maneuvers), was seen standing motionless against a wall (a stone wall, as it happened) observing but not participating in the festivities.  One of his Brigadier Generals remarked, “There is Jackson, standing against that stone wall like a stone wallflower,” and before long Jackson was affectionately known by his men (many of whom could not dance either) as “Stone Wallflower” Jackson----sometimes just “Stonewall” for short.

If the question was,

“Discuss the circumstances surrounding the Gettysburg Address,”

I might answer:

President Lincoln was frustrated with his generals, who looked good in blue but were reluctant to engage in combat, which they considered potentially hazardous. Also, if truth be told, he wanted to get a break from Mary Todd, who seemed to blame him every time they lost another child.  So he accepted an invitation from his old friend, Edward Everett, and hopped a train to the sleepy town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, hoping to forget about the war for a few days, and maybe buy Mary a gay frock from the Outlet Mall.  But he soon realized that Gettysburg, full of Civil War museums and gift shops featuring war memorabilia, was the last place to go to try to forget the war.  To make matters worse, he had scribbled Everett’s Gettysburg address on the back of an envelope which he apparently misplaced on the train, so when he arrived at the station, he had no idea where to go.  It didn’t help that he had forgotten to bring his cell phone charger, and the coverage in rural Pennsylvania was so terrible in 1863 (as it still is now in 1967) that he probably wouldn’t have received a signal anyway.  He wandered about town asking if anyone could direct him to Everett’s home, eventually finding himself in a cemetery where some sort of service was in progress.  Recognized by his resemblance to the image on the five-dollar bill, Lincoln was asked to say a few words. Unfortunately, just as he predicted, the world little noted nor long remembered what he said there.

But You will note (though not long remember) that I intentionally included in my answers some key words related to the actual events, words that Mr. Brewer might see in the unlikely event that he perused my paper.  You will also note that it probably took more time to write humorous answers than it would have taken to write the correct ones.  I’ve found that responsible people generally don’t appreciate the energy and effort required for someone to earn the title, Nitwit. 

A few days later, as anticipated, my homework was returned with a check mark on top, so of course I continued my practice.  I didn’t know it at the time, but what I was practicing for was writing stories such as this.  At the time I could never have foreseen that one day my little stories would be compiled in a book, a book that, to coin a phrase, would take America by light breeze, and be purchased by literally dozens of people, some of whom would read it all the way to the end.

Back at Lyman, I learned there was one disadvantage to having to pass my bogus homework up a row. The student sitting ahead of me was in a position to read one of my answers and laugh.  One day he did so.  Such behavior would be entirely appropriate in the cafeteria or during study hall once my paper had been returned to me safe and sound and bearing a check mark, but this fellow had evidently never learned the familiar lesson that, countless times, I had not learned from my dad, “There’s a time and a place for everything.” Still, we were far enough toward the back of the room to avoid scrutiny, so no unfortunate consequences resulted from his indiscretion. However, before long he was looking forward to reading my daily answers, and then, evidently adding his paper to the bottom as he passed the stack forward, he would tap the student ahead of him and say something like, “Look what Sukhia wrote for number three.” 

One would like to think that we live in a world in which, when one is seated in a long row, at least a dozen desks away from one’s teacher, one could write humorous answers on routine assignments and pass one’s paper up one’s row without fear of pedagogical detection. But that would require classmates with sufficient discernment to know they should stop laughing and tapping fellow students within six desks of the instructor.  Even though normally busy taking roll, Mr. Brewer could not help but notice that all the rows of students tended to quietly pass up their homework except one.  One fateful day he walked over to our row, seeking the cause of the commotion; it didn’t take him long to discover it.

At least fifty years on, I don’t remember if this escapade resulted in a visit to the office, after school suspension, a lowered History grade or all of the above, but I certainly learned my lesson: High School students, at least those whose last names begin with A through S, are not to be trusted.

While we’re on the topic of bogus history, some who have not studied the matter may have the misconception that the Bible is not historically accurate.  There are a number of ways scholars determine the trustworthiness of an ancient writing.  One of them is to compare it to other documents of the same era for corroborating evidence. Biblical statements have been confirmed by the writings of ancient non-Christian writers such as the first century Roman historian Tacitus, who verified the execution of Jesus at the hands of Pontius Pilate; second century historian Suetonius, who confirmed the expulsion of Jews from Rome (noted in Acts 18:2); and second century government official Pliny the Younger. He asked, in a letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan, dated at about A.D. 112, what he was to do with the followers of Christ. He reported to the emperor that these people:

…were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food---but food of an ordinary and innocent kind. [Pliny the Younger, Letters, 10:96, cited by Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Thomas Nelson, p. 58]

Pliny’s question was, should I really be hauling such people off to jail?

Another means of verifying the trustworthiness of historical documents is through archaeological research.  For example, 2 Kings 12:1 declares,

“In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.”

Obviously, if an ancient tablet is discovered that refers to King Jehoash of Israel, the son of Zibiah of Beersheba, the trustworthiness of Scripture is affirmed. 

In fact, archaeological research has confirmed the trustworthiness of the Bible’s historical references. Renowned twentieth century archaeologist Nelson Glueck put it this way:

“It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”  He asserted “the almost incredibly accurate historical memory of the Bible, and particularly so when it is fortified by archaeological fact.” [Ibid, p. 61]

For example, first century physician and historian Luke, author of the third and fifth books of the New Testament (the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles) refers to Publius of the island of Malta as “the first man of the island” in Acts 28:7----an unusual title. Inscriptions have now been unearthed that give Publius that very title.  Luke was once thought to have been in error when he referred to the rulers of Thessalonica as politarchs in the original Greek of Acts 17:8, since the term was not found in classical Greek literature.  But now, as Josh McDowell points out, “…some nineteen inscriptions that make use of the title have been found.  Interestingly enough, five of these are in reference to Thessalonica.” [Ibid, p. 65]  

Sir William Ramsay is widely recognized as one of the greatest archaeologists who ever lived.  He concluded after thirty years of study that Luke:  

“…is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.” [Ibid, p. 63]

Of course, to affirm that the Bible is a trustworthy historical document is not to say that it is necessarily inspired by God.  There are many trustworthy historical documents that make no claim to divine inspiration.  But to affirm that the Bible is a trustworthy historical document means, at the very least, you should seriously consider its claim to be inspired of God----literally, “God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16)  

Furthermore, if you can trust the historian Luke when he says that Publius was “the first man of the island,” and when he says that Thessalonica was ruled by “politarchs,” then on what grounds do you not trust him when he says with similar confidence that Jesus rose from the dead?  This verifiably trustworthy historian declares that on the third day following the crucifixion of Jesus, word began to come to his traumatized, dejected disciples that He was alive.  He had been seen by Mary Magdalene at the tomb, and by the Apostle Peter, but the others had a hard time believing it. On that afternoon two astonished followers of Christ rushed from a nearby village to the room in Jerusalem where the disciples had gathered, declaring that Jesus had just walked and talked with them.

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. [Luke 24:36-40]

You may say, “I cannot trust Luke (or Peter, Paul, Matthew or John) when he speaks of the Resurrection, because I know from my own experience that after people die, they do not rise from the dead.”  Quite right, in our experience, people we know do not rise from the dead, but Jesus declared that He was not like other people we know. He said he was both human and divine.  He declared Himself to be the Son of God who came to earth to live a sinless life in our place, and then to take the punishment for our sins upon Himself. 

If a supernatural being can create this vast universe, and keep all the planets and atoms spinning, which you will acknowledge that no mere man can do, then can you not believe that He can intervene in His universe out of compassion for His rebellious creatures?  Can you not believe that God can become flesh, and dwell among us?  

If you will take the time to read the Gospel of Luke, or that of Matthew, Mark or John, you will find there the truth which can bring you life----abundant life.  It’s a life that can be yours, here and now, and a life that you will find to be even more glorious four score and seven years from now.

By sharing this slice of Wry Bread with friends, you can introduce them to this blend of humor and biblical truth, and perhaps bless them in the process.