Hi! Would love to write for this publication. :-)

Brian Tubbs (@briantubbs)

My answers to the questions are...

1) Who’s your favorite historical figure and why?

It's very difficult to narrow that down to just one, but I'll try. :-)

Other than Jesus...

My favorite historical figure would probably be King Solomon. He understood his limitations when thrust into a leadership role, knew what to ask God for, and then made the acquisition and dispensing of wisdom his lifelong pursuit. And, thanks to the book of Proverbs, we still benefit from his wisdom today.

If I have to choose from outside the Bible...

George Washington is my man. :-) Yes, he was flawed. His biggest sin, of course, was his participation in the evil institution of slavery (at least until he renounced it at the end of his life). But Washington--flawed as he was--demonstrated great courage, wisdom, and leadership in his life. And the United States of America would not exist today were it not for him.

2) Can you judge the past with today’s lens?

I believe we should learn from history through today's lens. And we can certainly judge its impact that way. But...

We must be careful to judge the people of the past by today's standards. We have access to far more information, more opportunities, and a much larger and more diverse community of voices than those in the past did. We can learn from them (including, at times, what not to do). And we can be grateful we've made progress in many areas, but we must be honest and humble when judging figures in history.