"Knowledge is Power"

I distinctly remember thinking this slogan silly especially since it was associated with High School and the silly ways they tried to excite students into learning with their awards and extra large t-shirts that everyone got and no one liked.    High school was like gouging myself everyday to go to.  I didn't want to learn; I skimmed over reading and passed papers because I could make words look good on paper.  I don't think I remember learning much--at least retaining that knowledge. 

Now that I have left school--have graduated college--I am finding myself with a new Resolution--this year and the following.  Even college, I find myself trying to recall what I learned in some of my past classes. I feel so priveleged to have thoroughly studied the Bible, but how much do I remember?  I have my notes---if I want to pull them out.  It occured to me, one evening over this break--as I was doing dishes and listening to a church friend rattle on endlessly with pleasure with his obsession with geology and the like--how incredibly Little I know about anything! Sure--I know the basics. Everyone knows the basics.  He my be basic in some areas--but he SURE knew his stuff when it came to scientific things and for that, I do certainly admire him.  I find so many things over my head--politics, science, philosophy, literature--I don't remember dates, important events, leaders...you name it! I just am not that willing to admit it.  Frankly, I have just plainly gotten sick of living up to the typical American--monolingual and only in touch with the time and culture in which I have been raised.  I have my whole life ahead of me and I find myself sometimes only growing in the knowledge of the newest materialism the world has to offer and wishing I had it.  I am on top of the famous celebrities and movies--but I am dumb when it comes to the history of our American Nation, let alone the world and so many other things.

So, my new years resolution is to read, to dive in, to study, to learn, to envelop myself in all manor of subjects because I want to.  Sure, I hope also to stay in shape, work out, go to grad school....these are also resolutions.  However, I want to read things "Tori" wouldn't normally read.  My mom commented on receiving a Christian romance book for Christmas  that I would want to read that.  Is that all people think I am interested in? Shallow fictional books that entertain me?  I know that a human hardly uses his brain--it has a huge capacity!  Yeah...even less for people growing in this day and age.  I want to surprise myself and be disciplined to leave the familiar and study and do things that people dont' expect me to.  I want to really wrestle with what I read and study...not turn it away because it is a "hard' read.

The book I have been reading lately is rather challenging and over my head at times but it is a good start. "How should we then live?" by Francis Schaeffer.  Just his discussion of art and literature and architecture--yeah I definitely skimmed over that in college.  I would still have to go back and read again to remember the different philosophical views and people and artists--to retain, but I am surprised I have gotten as far in it as I have.  I also read this National Geographic "picturesque" book on the Wonders of the World. I don't even call it reading, but I didn't know most of the seven ancient wonders, let alone finding out the 7 wonders also of the medieval world, modern world, natural world, underwater world, and futuristic world!  And the basic of biographies of some of the greats of faith--I am just now finding out the basics!  Simple things at my age I should have known and don't!!

So, my friends--Knowledge is Power!  Christ gave us a mind to think--to challenge, to study, to grow.  Things first and foremost of him and our lives as Christians in this Christless world.  But also to know of that which surrounds us.  We are intricate amazing individuals made in the image of God to think, be, act, and turn the world upside down for him.  How can we if we are narrow minded and ignorant?  Can we give an explaination for our faith and why we believe it?..let alone be actually aware of knowledgeable of where we are and where we have come from as individuals, a nation, and a world?