“History Is Important”

Perspective is essential to knowing the truth. Look at only part of the facts in a situation and you will often get a distorted understanding. Recall the Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant…. “one feels the trunk and says it’s a big snake…another feels the leg and says it’s a pillar… another feels it’s tail and believes it’s a rope….” Unless we see the whole picture we don’t fully know the truth. 

As time passes, the things we once knew well can change; it’s not what it was in the past.  I enjoy reading about the early days of the NFL (National Football League). In those days they were fragile and often very close to failure…unable to pay their bills, having few fans, no luxury hotels or private planes…. driving thru the night to games, sleeping on the bus. I read that the original Chicago Bears didn’t have the money to pay the players until after the game when they got the paid receipts from the game; they had to borrow money to tape the players ankles. Companies would sponsor the games and use their names for advertising, e.g. the Indian Meat Packing Company of Green Bay, became the  Green Bay Packers. It’s very interesting to read about the “early days”. The New York Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara who paid $500 for the franchise; in 1926 it was close to bankruptcy. The early days seem completely foreign to the leagues and teams of 2021…. Well it has been some 100 years.

So, what’s the connection? The connection is that if we want to know the truth about something we need to consider it’s entire history…  the early days and the current days. Most institutions have moments of being in “intensive care”… in fact they are often only a “few bad colds” from being back in intensive care. For those founded for God’s  purposes, it’s clear that the Lord is the one who keeps things going. If the men and women stay close to the Lord, he will keep it going. 

Koinonia Academy began in 1984 sponsored by the People of Hope Community. Those were the “wild west days of KA”. It’s truly amazing it lasted  a year or even 5 years. There were a lot of challenges, a lot of challenges. The People of Hope and its members poured its resources into keeping it going… volunteer services, sacrificial salaries, donations of members, physical work, and a lot of prayer. Over the years hundreds of people have served at KA… community members, religious brothers and sisters, priests, and many more. Some served for a year, some 5 years, some 10, 20, 30, and a few almost 40 years. 

Well last night, some 40 years after the beginning,  KA had a wonderful Gala where some 300 people came to honor and support KA…it was a great night. KA never looked better. What was interesting is that few of the original staff and supporters were there. Many have passed away including now the two original deans. Fewer and fewer remember the original stories, the original miracles, the many benefactors who showed up at just the right time over the years to keep us going, the “blood, sweat, and tears” and so much more. 

Well, KA is still going . It’s different in 2021 than it was in 1984, but Jesus is still Lord.  It’s my hope that in another 40 years, we will be having another GALA celebrating our 80^th year and that the new staff and students and benefactors will be toasting the greatest school in New Jersey and beyond… and that our grandchildren and great grandchildren will be attending as students and parents,  and teachers and benefactors of Koinonia Academy. 

As stated in the first brochure back in 1985, “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” May the candle continue to burn at Koinonia Academy, proclaiming Jesus Christ Is Lord !