By Jared Carman, Head of School
This Saturday, October 12, marks the day Christopher Columbus, in 1492, made it across the ocean to America. Columbus was a man of faith. He recognized his own human weakness, and trusted in the power of God to get him through his life’s journey. He kept going. Here are some excerpts from the journal that Columbus kept, telling his story.
“At a very early age I began to sail upon the ocean. For more than forty years, I have sailed everywhere that people go. I prayed to the most merciful Lord about my heart’s great desire, and He gave me the spirit and the intelligence for the task: seafaring, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, skill in drafting spherical maps and placing correctly the cities, rivers, mountains and ports.
“It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because he comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination, from the Holy Scriptures...encouraging me continually to press forward.
“For the execution of the journey to the Indies I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied.
“Our Lord Jesus desired to perform a very obvious miracle in the voyage to the Indies... I spent seven years in the royal court, discussing the matter with many persons of great reputation and wisdom in all the arts; and in the end they concluded that it was all foolishness, so they gave it up. But since things generally came to pass that were predicted by our Savior Jesus Christ, we should also believe that this particular prophecy shall come to pass...
“It is possible that those who see this book will accuse me of being unlearned in literature, of being a layman and a sailor. I reply with the words of Matthew 11:25: “Lord, because thou has hid things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes.”....
“I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolations since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy his marvelous presence.
“I said that some of the prophecies remained yet to be fulfilled. There are great and wonderful things for the earth, and the signs are that the Lord is hastening the end. The fact that the gospel must still be preached to so many lands in such a short time—this is what convinces me.”
“No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior... The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to his sovereign will even though He gives advice... Oh what a gracious Lord, who desires that people should perform for Him those things for which He holds himself responsible! Day and night moment by moment, everyone should express to Him their most devoted gratitude.
Over the last few hundred years many places have been named after Christopher Columbus, including rivers, cities, ships, universities, streets, and even countries and provinces, like Colombia, British Columbia, and our nation’s capital, District of Columbia. Today let us remember how Christopher Columbus embodied actio as he kept going, trusting in God.
This historical thought was delivered by our upper school students at devotional on 10/10/25. Each week one class leads the student body in prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, scripture recitation, a meditation, and an historical thought. Family and friends are welcome, Thursdays 8:30-9:05 am.
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