Step ten: "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it." The 12 steps are a long journey, and the texts for today are ones that help us continue on the long journey.

This passage from Corinthians is one I think should be a history teacher's delight. It is a mode of scriptural interpretation known as "typology." It is a form of historical study. This method sees events in the history of Israel as "types" of events like other events. Here the redemptive events in Israel's history foreshadow and are similar to the final victory through Christ.

The past has lessons. Years ago my mother had me read these words: "Alas, times are not what they used to be. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone wants to write a book about it." That was written i…