March 2012 Archives

One of the readings we read in Honors this week was an excerpt from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.  This is a somewhat radical writing for the post-reformation era, because it calls for leaving everything behind in a period where it became possible to serve God in any station. It is a story about a man named Christian and his journey to the Celestial City. He meets many interesting people along the way, some of whom join his travels for a time and some of whom he encounters only briefly. Some of these characters represent good traits and others represent bad traits.

This reading is good because it properly emphasizes the importance of the Christian faith. An eternal relationship with Jesus Christ is worth leaving everything else behind for. It is also very interesting to read some of the different characters that are distracted from their goal by various things. This story is, in many ways, timeless, because it deals with the importance of eternal salvation.

It is really cool how Christian, in the story, is always trying to get the people he meets to also go to the Celestial City. One thing I do not like about the story is how he leaves his wife and children behind. I think there must have been something he could have done to not abandon his vocation of husband and father. He surely could have tried harder to save his family from destruction. Other than that though, I like this story. 

This past weekend, Concordia's theater department put on a student-directed play called Arcadia. This play took place in one room, but in two different time periods. This play is about how everything eventually turns into chaos.

This play involved several of the characters trying to better the world through studying. This took different forms, such as math and literature, but all had their own role. It was very interesting how vocation fit into the play. Each character had a role that only they could fill that was vitally important. Whether that was figuring out a math equation, or discovering a passage in an old book.

I really enjoyed relational aspect of this play. The relationships were very complex and realistic. To me, relationships are the most important aspect of vocation and life. I also really connected with the desire to learn that was prevalent in the play. 

                One of the readings from Honors this week was "Reply to Sor Philothea" by Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz. She was a woman who loved to learn from the time she was very young. She became a nun and continued to learn through books and thinking while being a nun. Many people were opposed to her studying, but, as was becoming apparent living in a post reformation era, Sor Juana was able to serve God through learning as well as through what others thought were acceptable means.

                Learning is highly valuable and is not something that is separate from faith. Learning can, and often does, bring glory to God. This reading was really good in that it reminds people of the importance of learning. Also, it is a good example of how when a person feels called to do something they should stick to that despite opposition. Sor Jauna received a lot of pressure to stop studying, but it was what she loved to do, so she served God through learning.

                I really liked this reading because I could relate to Sor Juana's love of learning. Learning is the thing that I am best at and the thing that I most enjoy. It also related to my work at the Minnesota Children's Museum, because the purpose of the museum is to help children learn through playing. That's why I decided to volunteer at the Children's Museum, because they share my love of learning. I genuinely believe that learning brings glory to God. Therefore, I will continue to pursue learning throughout my life.