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Jansenn Dy joined the group MT 14 – BB 1 year, 2 months ago
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Jansenn Joyce M. Dy
GE10 – BB
Attendance for November 21, 2023“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
Matthew 6: 25-26
Jansenn Joyce M. Dy
GE10 – BB
— Attendance for November 7“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
GE10 – BB
Silliman Seal and Logo — ReflectionThe seal of Silliman University is actually Christ-centered in its design. What many may not know is that its iconic imagery of a lighted lamp resting atop a book is a direct reference to a specific Bible verse. I know this because I can still remember it being discussed around grade 3/4 CLVE class in Silliman University Elementary School, though the details may be a bit hazy.
The lamp and book is a reference to Psalm 119:105, where it is written, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
The book can be understood as a representation of Silliman’s education, academics, knowledge, etc., but it can also be seen as the Bible containing the words of Jesus Christ, of which the principles of the University are founded upon. The lamp is quite literally God’s Word which guides all members of the university in all pursuits beyond mere academics. I forgot the specific term for the string of leaves around the book (laurel?), but it is meant to represent everlasting life through Jesus Christ.
As for the school’s motto ‘Via, Veritas, Vita’ (translated from Latin as ‘The Way, the Truth, and the Life’), we must look back on the chapter and Bible verse it originally came from to truly understand and appreciate its significance.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
— John 14:1-7
I find it very beautiful. When we recite Silliman’s motto, we are really inviting Jesus into our lives. Silliman University’s motto is actually saying that the university means to live by Jesus’ principles and similarly provide guidance and direction to its students. The way, the truth, and the life are all connected. If we know the way, that is, making the right decisions, maintaining a high standard of morality and social consciousness, we will get to know the truth. For me, I see the truth as being those essential values and principles we learn and establish throughout the course of our lives that then leads us to the life. The life is not merely a life well lived from the fruits of our efforts, but even more so an everlasting life with Jesus, as He promised in John 14:1-7 should we choose to know Him and follow His ways. Of course, because this motto is taken from the Bible, we should never forget Jesus as the foundation of this whole institution. After all, if it weren’t for the church and the Protestant missionaries, the school would have never been established in the first place and would not continue to thrive to this day.
Romans 4-6 — Reflection
GE10 – BBWhile Romans 1-3 talks about the nature of our sin and wickedness, Romans 4-6 then focuses on the redemption that is described as “grace through faith” in Jesus Christ. It continues the analogy of circumcision to really put it in our hearts that true faith and salvation comes not from obedience to physical laws but in inner transformation. Should one be outwardly uncircumcised, if in their thoughts and actions they glorify God then that person is made righteous unlike one who is physically circumcised but acts as a hypocrite. It is with faith to God that we are deemed as righteous, as evidenced by the examples of Abraham and King David.
Jesus died for us while we are still sinners. That is the most powerful message that Romans 4-6 tries to tell us. As such, we have to live our life in faith as gratefulness to his sacrifice. Even when all people are doomed to death because of sin, the sacrifice of one man (Jesus Christ) is more than enough to overcome it should we believe in Him. Ultimately, our salvation is really something that we cannot attain through good works or obedience to the law alone but rather in faith and trust in God.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NKJV
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
Romans 2:28- 29 NKJV