Spain and Knowledge & Discovery - Fact #3
The third fact, which we present on the third day of 2014 (where did the time go?), has to do with one of my passions: military machines.
Spanish sailor and engineer Isaac Peral (1851-1895) designed the first fully operative military submarine.
Peral submarine in Cartagena, Spain
Spaniards are creative and intelligent people. In fact, some of the oldest universities in the world are located in Spain. Of course much weight is placed on the worldly accumulation of "smarts" today. Understanding science and math and having a degree or two are very important to most people, including Spaniards.
The gathering of knowledge and discovery is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it has become an idol for many today. We chase after knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Education becomes something we can lord over people who haven't attained the degree of knowledge we have. Or, if we are the ones with "less education," then we either become grave skeptics of those with it or we place those same people on pedestals. Often times we assume that they just can't be wrong. Don't think that is the case? Talk to some university students and see how many of them will parrot their professors simply because they're professors.
The Bible tells us that God is the author of knowledge and all good things and valuable teaching come from him. Imagine if we all excelled at the things Jesus teaches us through His Word. Wouldn't we measure progress and success differently? Rather than large companies, tall buildings and new gadgets, we would gauge success on close families, sacrificial giving and relationships with God.
As we head to Spain, we hope to see a nation of intelligent people discover a study that doesn't end, lessons for which they can always thirst and always discover, progress that lasts in eternity. May we see high points move from designing the first fully operational military submarine to publicly turning to the Lord Jesus Christ and looking to Christ for guidance.
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