By Emily Brady, Class of 2026
Spiritual Life Prefect
Senior Trip is the pinnacle of every student’s StoneBridge experience. Not only is it the culmination of all we have learned, it also feels like a reward for sticking it out through the countless papers, math tests, and presentations we endured as students in high school.
And yet, after two amazing weeks spent in Italy with my classmates, it’s already over. We’re back in the United States with Chick-fil-A, paper towels, and all the other usual American things. And as I reflect on our time in Europe, I realize that it wasn’t the gelato that had the biggest impact on me (although it was pretty life-changing). Rather, it’s the relationships that were strengthened, the incredible views that took our breath away, and the ground-breaking artwork and architecture we saw firsthand that God used to communicate something more meaningful.
Seeing the incredible feats of history like the Statue of David, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, or Brunelleschi’s Dome – pieces of history that have been on earth far longer than any of us – was quite an experience. These artists and architects were doing things no one else had even imagined. Even today, it astonishes us. It makes us wonder what could have inspired these men.
Yearning and Filling a God-Sized Hole
One evening during our stay in Cinque Terre, just as the sun was starting to go down, some of my classmates and I went out to the water and simply took in the beauty of the scene. There was a slight breeze, the clouds were just starting to open up, and the golden sunlight shone across the water. The sound of the waves repeatedly hitting the cliffs contrasted with the quietness of nature evoked a feeling I can’t explain.
As my friends and I took in the moment, I was filled with a yearning, a yearning to know the One responsible for such beauty. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” This verse was made even more real to me in this moment.
One night, it came up in our class devotions that some of the early artists and architects who literally made history could have been attempting to capture the beauty of creation and, by doing so, fill the God-sized hole in their heart. Yet, they may have gotten lost in their endeavor and their motivation pivoted, trying to bring glory to themselves.
Or perhaps they never attributed creation’s beauty to God in the first place and worshipped the creation rather than the Creator. In Romans 1:22-23, the Bible says, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
That same yearning we felt while beholding the beauty of God’s creation could very well have inspired the artists to create. But, it is also possible that in doing so, their motivation shifted from glorifying God to striving to create perfect, unparalleled art that brought glory to themselves.
Cherishing a God-Sized Moment
I do not mean to determine the spiritual condition of these men as I never knew them, but, as a class, each of us admitted to be personally familiar with the human inclination to worship the created rather than the Creator.
As a Christian, I saw God’s handiwork and the Holy Spirit reminded me who it is meant to glorify. Creation does not exist in and of itself, it is God who created and sustains all things. Even more, God sees His creation and still calls us His masterpiece! He specially crafted each of us in His image. And even more, He was willing to die for us on a cross!
It was in this realization that I was reminded yet again of God’s love, and it is only God’s love and faith in the Son of God’s sacrifice that the God-sized hole in all our hearts can be filled. Being able to discuss God’s love made evident to us with my classmates while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is a moment I will cherish forever. It was in moments like this that we were brought closer than ever before.
“Being able to discuss God’s love made evident to us with my classmates while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is a moment I will cherish forever. It was in moments like this that we were brought closer than ever before.”
This trip showed me so many things, not just how good real Italian pizza is (because it is so good!). Now, when I think of the artwork, artifacts, and architectural feats of history, I realize that it all points back to the Lord.
When I see creation, I see our Creator. When I think of our trip, I think of the community I have with other Christians in the Holy Spirit. It is because of these things that I know Senior Trip will have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.
