Part of a Legacy

When I think about how this university has been operating for 100 years now, I can start to question my place in it all. One hundred years is a long time. How many students just like me have experienced this place? I am just one of thousands. It’s an overwhelming thought that can lead me to wonder if I, one Iowa-born girl attending JBU for four years, am contributing anything to this centennial legacy.

In another hundred years, will my picture be up on whatever is the future form of Power Point as the woman who accomplished such and such and contributed in so many ways?
Probably not.

So what is my purpose here?
In Scripture, the unity and diversity of the Church is discussed in terms of a body. In a sense, JBU reflects one small portion of the Church. The body as it exists at JBU is made up of many people, connected by this place and our experiences here.

I am a member of a community with a purpose. Perhaps I will leave here and will be remembered by very few, but the point is not that I am remembered. My purpose here is to do my best to contribute to and learn from the community, and to take what I have learned and to apply it in a broader context. To view myself as one small piece in the history of JBU shouldn’t make me feel insignificant, but should inspire me to fulfill my role, however big or small it may seem.

The legacy of John Brown University is one that began one hundred years ago, but it will carry on for much longer. As the body of Christ within JBU, we are not called to make ourselves great, but to work together to do great things. Maybe I, as an individual, won’t be remembered in the university context for long; however, I have confidence that the community of which I have been a part will continue to have an impact. To be a part of that legacy is an honor.