Keep Calm and Read Scripture

The poster is plastered on walls and sported on T-shirts. The short phrase from the poster has found its way into conversations and catch-phrases around the world. But where did it come from? What does the message refer to?

The story of Keep Calm and Carry On is told on YouTube. As part of a World War II propaganda campaign, the British government intended to use this short phrase on a poster, accompanied by the Crown of King George VI, to reassure the public should the nation face a time of absolute crisis. That crisis never materialized and the poster was never officially released. But more than 50 years later one copy mysteriously appeared in a bookstore in north England. The slogan has been popular ever since.

Listen closely near the end of the three-minute YouTube video. “It is hard to say exactly why a phrase from a bygone decade would have so much appeal and resonance now . . . However it is perhaps the words on the poster that people find most enchanting . . . it is something that should never fade from fashion.”

Funny how that works. Something from another era surviving in the modern world? Now, I have to ask, why is Holy Scripture held to a double-standard? In Matthew 24:35, He says, “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Sounds like His word is here to stay.

It is tempting to believe that something written many years ago can lose its lustre or, worse, relevance. But to that I say just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it's untrue. If anything, phrases can gain more significance over time. Think about classic literature? Old films and documentaries? How about black and white photos and ancient artifacts? Does age diminish their truthfulness? Do we really want to shove something aside that possesses eternal legitimacy?

I don’t think human nature differs from decade to decade. Love, fulfillment, fear, security, forgiveness and wonder are things we all think about, and I believe the people from the last century thought about those things too. Read John Keat’s poem on Beauty and you’ll know what I mean. If we’re bound by the I-only-like-it-if-it’s-new-and-applies-directly-to-me mentality, then we’ve really allowed Western culture to chew us up and spit us out.

If we disregard something out-of-hand because it is old or supposedly “socially irrelevant,” perhaps we haven’t given it as much exploration as it deserves. For me, that applied to scripture. Then I realized what I was missing out on. Now I make it a point to read the stories of Jesus for the human reason of getting to know Him better, and for the divine reason of my own spiritual nurturing.

I challenge you to open that big old book, absorb some timeless wisdom and read the most epic love story of all time.