Over recent weeks there has been a constant flow of news that ISIS is, apparently without system or premeditation, destroying the historic symbols of an ancient nation, culture, ethos and religion.

At first the response to this is “how could they wreak such barbaric and mindless destruction”, pummeling into oblivion beautiful and valuable markers of a past time.

Barbaric Destruction of History – An Attempt

But then, on further thought, one considers that this maybe is not so mindless as first glance, though it signally remains evil.

To annihilate the connection between personal, national contemporaneity and personal, national past is to destroy from within the psyche. For example, Jesus was confident that he knew whence he came and whither he was to go; this gave confident strength in the present.

Combine this satanic destruction of things past with the enforced viewing of ancient beauty being wrecked, and there is then a powerful cocktail inducing uncertainty, lack of identity and weakness of intention.

Sometimes in a relationship there is an unspoken but required action that the hold of the past (past lovers, past hopes, past families) be loosened. The intent is that the present relationship will be strengthen; it does not happen because creation of union comes with acceptance of the other… and their histories.