The Good Old Days

Last week I spent a few hours browsing the Brethren in Christ Archives at Messiah College. The Archives is home to thousands of photos, letters, publications, and artifacts from the early days of Messiah College and Messiah Village. What a thrill to hold a leather-bound ledger from 1897 and see the carefully scripted entries detailing each donation and each gift of food  given to help our ministry grow. People often talk about “the good old days.” We all seem to think that life was simpler then, more genuine and less crazy. As I’ve been researching our humble beginnings on Bailey Street, I agree that life was simpler in many ways – but it wasn’t without its struggles and challenges.  I’m amazed at how many people rallied and sacrificed to ensure that the Messiah Rescue Home could get its footing. 

 Today, 115 years later, we can enjoy reminiscing about the good old days, but let’s remember to be thankful for the men and women who sparked and nurtured that vision that is the Messiah Village of 2011.