Happy Columbus Day!
- VBS4ever
- 40 minutes ago
- 2 min read
This coming Monday, October 13, the U.S. will celebrate Columbus Day, which commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Columbus Day has increasingly become one of the least honored among the federal holidays, with rumors circulating about misdeeds associated with colonization. However, it is well documented that Columbus never set foot on any territory that later became part of the continental United States.
In fact, the history of Christopher Columbus is actually more consequential than many other ‘heroes’ we pay tribute to in America. Columbus had a two-fold mission: first, to find a western passage to the Spice Islands and India, and second, to carry the good news of Jesus Christ to people in "new" parts of the world.
God commands ALL OF US to share the good news of Jesus Christ – Matthew 28:19a - “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, …”
A man of character, determination and a deep faith in God, Columbus had the self-confidence to ignore critics and persevere. He had a vision of discovering the New World of the Western Hemisphere.
Voluminous writings describe what motivated Columbus to do what he did. He knew that finding a western sea route would have far-reaching benefits. He wrote in his diary, “It was the Lord who put into my mind, [and] I could feel his hand upon me … that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies.”
In the wee hours of October 12, the crew saw land -- not India or China, as they had thought – but they were about to discover a new part of the world, far from the Orient.
Today’s “woke” culture has deemed Columbus responsible for many disasters that followed his discovery, overlooking the essence of the man. (Persecution is the best form of flattery!)
Matthew 5:11 - “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”
History says Columbus was at heart an explorer and evangelist. His faith and pursuits enabled the founding of a new nation – a nation unlike any other – based on the revolutionary idea that people have the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Don’t be afraid to pursue the divine vision God has set in your heart. Like Columbus, ignore the critics and persevere!
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