To Boldly Go

Christopher Columbus set sail from Europe on August 3, 1492, with the three ships Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria, presumably to discover a western route to the Orient. My earlier studies of Columbus’ journey to the New World left me with a limited understanding of the man and his motives. I thought Columbus had sailed to discover a new route, make money, and establish an excellent reputation. However, “upon further review,” I found a man of greater depth than a swashbuckling pirate in Columbus.

I discovered that Columbus was a man of faith. He loved the scriptures and found motivation in them to spread the gospel and accelerate the coming of Christ. Christopher Columbus believed God called him to do this. Even his name, Christopher, meant "Christ-bearer." He thought he was to carry the gospel to the far-off lands and diligently searched the scriptures for direction from God and to find assurance for a call to sail to the far reaches of the earth with a Christian message. References he included in his writings :

Isaiah 42:1-7 (NKJV)

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,

Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

3 A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench;

He will bring forth justice for truth.

4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,

Till He has established justice in the earth;

And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

5 Thus says God the LORD,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out,

Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,

Who gives breath to the people on it,

And spirit to those who walk on it:

6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the Gentiles,

7 To open blind eyes,

To bring out prisoners from the prison,

Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

Matthew 24:14 (NKJV):

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Psalm 107:23-24

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,

Who do business on great waters,

24 They see the works of the LORD,

And His wonders in the deep.

He wrote his Book of Prophecies in 1502 between his third and fourth voyage to the New World. This book explains what he believed was his call by God to sail West. Listen to his words:

“It was the Lord who put in my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) to sail to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures.”

He continues:

“For the execution of the journey, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied. [Isaiah 40.22 which said the earth was circle.] . . These are great and wonderful things for the earth, and the signs are that the Lord is hastening the end. The fact that [the] gospel must still be preached to so many lands in such a short time – this is what convinces me.”

Critics abound who love to reveal Columbus’ shortcomings. Rather than being detrimental, these critiques solidify the blessed way that God deals with flawed people. Aren’t you glad that God has not cast you off for your imperfections? Rather, God is doing a mighty work in you, which He will complete in His time and present you to Himself complete in Christ. Listen to Philippians 1:6 and Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV) and then:

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

We tend to forget that others will judge us the same way we judge others (Matthew 7:1-5). We give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and allow ourselves the privilege of growth and change. Why don't we extend that attitude to Columbus and our Founding Fathers and "love our neighbors as ourselves?"

Generation after generation has crises that cause us to think about the return of Jesus, yet, Jesus has not returned. Perhaps that is because the whole world has not heard the gospel. Columbus, the Pilgrims, and even the Vikings left the security of home to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." What a challenge for our modern-day critics who need to "remove the plank from your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."