If you could erase one event from history, what would it be?
The adage “Use the past as a mirror for the present” echoes across civilizations—yet I find myself wondering: do we truly learn from history?
I do not take this question lightly. My first instinct is to name the costliest wound: the Holocaust. The systematic murder of six million Jewish civilians stands as one of humanity’s darkest chapters. Had Nazi Germany never risen, that particular horror might never have occurred. And yet, even with such a catastrophe etched into our collective memory, history continues to repeat itself. Wars, genocides, and atrocities persist. Clearly, remembrance alone does not guarantee prevention.
This leads me to a sobering conclusion: erasing any single event is not the answer. The roots of tyranny—hegemony, corruption, and imperial ambition—are not anomalies; they are offshoots of a deeper, more ancient flaw in human nature. Greed and the lust for power are perennial.
My reflection deepens further, turning to a theological frame. In Christian teaching, the origin of human brokenness lies not in any political regime, but in the first rebellion—Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Romans 5:12). Had that primordial event not occurred, the curse upon creation, the suffering of all living beings, and even death itself might never have entered the world. History, in its entirety, would be unrecognizable.
But since we cannot rewrite the past, I choose a different approach: not erasure, but examination. I will take one historical event, study it honestly, extract its lessons, and strive—however imperfectly—not to replicate its errors.
And so I offer this prayer—not as an escape from history, but as a lens through which to see it clearly.
—✨
Oh Lord,
I do not look to the East,
nor to the West.
I look only to You,
to guide my steps into the future, under Your glory.
I know that blessed are those who fear You,
and blessed are those who follow Your precepts.
So keep me in reverent awe of You,
and let me walk in Your ways,
until the day I see You face to face.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
—✨
en yan hua fang 