Fourth Quarter Morality Journal

1. While working on the initial questions to the Sermon on the Mount I talked to my friends around me, put down the first thing that came to mind, and was very relaxed. After looking back, I did a good job answering these questions, but could I have done better? I think the answer is yes. I could have taken it more seriously and put pure thought into my answers knowing that it could affect the outcome of the lesson. While reading the Sermon on the Mount to myself in a quiet location I realized that I learned a lot more than I would have if I would have tried reading it in the business of everyday life. Taking the time to reflect and read at the same time really enhanced my experience. I have never been one to store knowledge very well over time but after filling in the outline the day after reading the Sermon on the Mount I was pretty satisfied. Knowing that I was able to either fill in or have the basic ideas about most of the guide, was encouraging. I do know that I should still work to retain more knowledge and that when I do, it will be very useful not only now, but also later in life.

This picture was found on google images

3. The first of two key ideas I want to remember is the idea surrounding Dr. Martin Luther King’s final speech. I can honestly say that I have heard very little about this speech and what was said during it. I can also honestly say that I am glad I have finally heard it. Listening to the storycorps excerpts and just hearing how much each person that spoke was affected by Dr. King’s speech was unbelievable. It really brought to life how much one person can do. I think that by keeping Dr. King in my mind always, and the knowledge of how much one person can change many lives, I will continue to grow. I realize that even though I might not have as much of an affect as Dr. King, I can help change the world around me. Even if it is a small change, it is worth it. If everyone helped change the world for better in a little way, there would be a big result. Leading by example is the way to start it, and Dr. King did exactly that.

The second key idea I want to remember from the first part of the fourth quarter is the ideas learned from Marwan. A moral person, put simply, is some one who cares and tries to do the right thing. In Marwan’s decision to become a suicide bomber, he used knowledge and free will. Marwan is a moral person. He has used his knowledge and free will to take the stand that what he is going to pursue is for a good purpose and he firmly stands behind this belief. He quotes lines from the Koran and believes in the morality that comes from it. He follows the word of his god, Allah, also. After reading the article on Marwan, more than once, I fully understood what a moral person was. After reflection upon my reading, I realized that I to can be a moral person and stand up for what I believe in, no matter what it is. I should not be afraid of others around me and should use my knowledge and free will to determine what I want to pursue in life. God is the one who saved us, and it is my turn to help save him from going silent among the world.

4. Who is the “wise man who built his house upon the rock” and am I like him today in my life?

The wise man who built his house upon the rock is anyone who hears Jesus’ words and puts them into practice. This person is also not afraid to take a stand for the word of Jesus. I think that there are certain times in my life when I am like the man who built his house on the rock and I’m not. There are many times that I have heard the word of God through school, church, family, and friends and have used this “voice” of God in a positive way. I think my biggest problem in being the wise man is being able to take a stand for God’s word. I might practice the words of Jesus when I’m by myself or with people I do not know, but sometimes when I get with a group of people I know, I tend to take a seat and relax. I realize, especially after taking this junior theology course, and the beginning to this fourth quarter, that I should stand up for what I believe in. If some one is going to try to bring me down for what I believe, they truly aren’t any one that I need to be associated with. I need to face the fear of being an outcast and live more like the wise man in my life today.