DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY.

Yesterday, I took my final for HIS 131B - History of the Renaissance and Reformation. I wrote more for that final than I've written for any final in my college career; my final essay took up 10 [blue book] pages. It was a good class, and it was largely due to my professor.

On the last day of class, we talked for a few minutes about new material, and then my professor took a few minutes to tie of the things that we had been learning together regarding the happenings of Early Modern Europe from 1450-1650. She recapped on a few of the common themes that we had seen in studying the history, and then she talked for a little bit about her own motivations in regards to her study of history. Her area of expertise is Spain; she could tell you anything you wanted to know about he the country came about, what the politics were like, who ruled when, and everything in between. At this point, she said something that really struck me: "I find that in studying the past, I better understand the present. You might not find these things particularly fascinating, but these things fill me with joy. This why I have chosen to dedicate my life to this."

At that, I could sense everybody in the room perk up - when people talk about the things that they are passionate about, it is compelling. It is a bold statement to say that you have dedicated your life to something; there's a finality about it, a commitment that is irreversible. Here was a woman who had dedicated herself to the study of the subject of Early modern Spain - the truth is that you really dedicate yourself to something, it shows. And this was apparent in her teaching - her passion came through in her thorough knowledge of the subjects and her excitement about us getting our learn on.

A speaker came to our Christian fellowship a few years ago, and he said this: "If you light yourself on fire, the world will come to watch you burn." The world takes notice of those who are willing to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to anything, and I think that this is our calling as Christians - to boldly proclaim with our lives the joy and excitement that comes from dedicating and laying down our lives to follow Jesus. You can't understand something until you love it; but when you do get to that place of dedication, the world will know. I don't know much about history, but I do know Jesus - I pray that my life would be wholeheartedly dedicated to knowing God intimately more and more every day. That's something worth learning about. See you soon.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)