Journal Entry from Saturday, October 2, 2010

(The following is a summary of an entry composed last weekend when I was sick and had slept in late.)

Outside my window, the homecoming game is being played, cheered, and chanted.  After sleeping in till noon and feeling mildly better, I am contemplating heading down for the last half.  I was awakened by the parade sirens and, after grabbing a cup of coffee, climbed back into bed with my Bible.  As I began to read, the national anthem began to be sung down on the field.  Of course, I had to pause and listen to one of my favorite songs...When it was over and the crowd cheered on the start of the game, I was struck by how truly incredible the last few moments had been.  Here, at this small Christian school in the heart of the Midwest, a crowd had gathered for an afternoon of fun with family and friends.  Presumably, most in attendance would claim Jesus Christ as their savior and did not think twice about prayer before the game.  As the Anthem was sung, I wonder how many realized the freedom they were exercising at that moment.  Like Norman Rockwell's WWII posters, we are experiencing Freedom from Want, Fear, of Speech, and of Religion right here today.  To begin with this is an amazing gift from the Lord.  It is a privilege to be an American.  Also, we should not sing of the "land of the free and the home of the brave" lightly.  Many men have died for us to enjoy simple activities like reading our Bibles without fear.  I was struck by this simple blessing the other day when a friend and I stopped at a bench to pray on our way to chapel.  After an hour of leisurely walking, sharing our hearts, and sipping coffee, we paused for a few minutes before parting and prayed for each other.  Not only does much of the world not enjoy this liberty, but we were doubly blessed to be in a place where passersby were not even shocked to see us praying together.  Recently, I have been increasingly struck by the blessings of being a student here...I complain about prices and rules and so many other things that just don't matter in big scope of life.  What does matter is that I enjoy the freedom to study the Bible and other subjects I enjoy without fear of persecution or pain.  Therefore, I will strive to engage this privilege to the best of my ability.