Reflection 12- Calvin's Institutes: Glory Days

The glory days are those we fondly remember as better than the present. But as with much of our maligned memories those days of glory rightly understood would only lead us to thoughts of better days to come. In reading Calvin’s theology on “Free Choice and Adam’s responsibility” I came upon an accurate statement of the glory days as he spoke of man in his original state. He says, “For, the individual parts of his soul were formed to uprightness, the soundness of mind stood firm, and his will was free to choose the good.” Those were the days! “Man was far different at the first creation from his whole posterity, who, deriving their origin from him in his corrupted state, have contracted from him a hereditary taint.” Taint may be a bit to calm of a word if you dip into my soul, sound out my mind and experience my choices down through the years. So what is one to do who sees these glory days in true color, reflects upon his own tainting and looks up at the billboards and cries against the airbrushed images, “Pass What On!”? Look to the glory of God shinning brightly in the face of Jesus Christ who has come to make all things new through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.