I remember the days leading up to Columbus Day when I was a child in elementary school.  We’d draw pictures of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  We were told stories of how people viewed the world as flat and if they were to sail too far, they would fall off the edge.  We thought of the man, Columbus as a hero of sorts.  He paved the way for more discovery – the dawn of the Renaissance in Europe – and the spread of Christianity.

The truth of this man and his discoveries has been hidden from the history books for quite a while now.  In fact many of the early discoveries have become tainted with stories of greed, removing natives from their own land, brutally taking what wasn’t theirs.  The stories I looked forward to as a child have been corrupted and in some cases men like Christopher Columbus have become villains.  I think we  need to take a look at the history books our children are reading today.  They, like much in our world, have been polluted considerably.

What was the purpose of these early ventures by courageous?  The major trade routes of the time were controlled by the Islamic Ottoman Empire which dealt in the slave trade as well as piracy on the open seas.  In order for Europe to trade with the east, they needed to find a different way to get there.

Exploration of an unknown always holds a bit of excitement along with a great deal of trepidation.  Each day we are faced with things we may have never thought of doing.  We can think of it as an adventure or we can hide from the possibilities we might find.  We can push ahead with no fear, or we can shun what lies beyond our own front door.  Sometimes it takes great courage just get out of bed in the morning.

God tells us in His Word, to be strong and courageous.  He promises to be with us in all that we do.  With that in mind, we can do anything – even discovering what lies beyond our comfort zone.

I still consider Columbus a great man, but my greatest hero is the One who gave His life for me – Jesus, Christ.