Copia
Copia – Abundance
Through this literary magazine, we hope that NCA students will be able to see beauty in new and different ways. There is an abundance of beauty within and outside of the walls of Naperville Christian Academy that deserves our attention. We want readers to be able to wrestle with, question, reflect upon, and marvel at the photography, language, music, and more of this small magazine. But our dream doesn’t end between covers of a book. We want people to be affected by this magazine so that they can learn to find beauty everywhere, through every culture, every place, every heart–because a love for beauty leads to a deeper and fuller love for the Lord. He has given us the ability to create, and that is a gift too often taken lightly. Through these works we can inspire others to showcase their God-given gifts and demonstrate how richly we have been endowed with the opportunity to both learn and create. Remembering that we are all created in God’s image, we hope to encourage a respect and love for each other through these talents which express who we are.
Submissions
More Than A Number: Bearing the Image of God in the Age of Big Data
Big Data algorithms are a technology that we interact with all the time, but many of us do not know how they influence the world or even what they are. This senior thesis is an exploration into how we Christians should approach this technology. – Luke Jacobs
Remembering The Nameless: What Science Fiction Teaches Us About Utilitarianism
“Every science fiction movie I have ever seen, any one that’s worth its weight in celluloid, warns us about things that ultimately come true.” -Steven Spielberg. – Sam Veague
“I Will Spit You Out”: Why The American Church Must Spurn Complacency and Risk It All
Wake up… before it’s too late. Believers in an American setting today are surrounded by secular distractions at a constant rate. Materialistic promotion and sexual or violent temptation are accessible at the fingertips of every person in moments. Taking part in the vicious cycle, Americans strive for worldly success in the form of wealth and social status in our consumeristic culture. The American Church is in danger of joining this immoral failure of the surrounding culture by focusing on market-driven ministry rather than God’s will… – Matthew VanHuis
Sketches by Matthew VanHuis
A series of sketches
Plight of Life
This poem is about how all humans face many struggles in their everyday lives. Most of the time, we do not understand the reasons of our sadness or stress. The main point is that we have God as our Savior and he can bring us the strength and peace we need to keep moving forward with our lives. – Mikhaela Gabiola
A Lament In Beauty
I have a tree in my family’s front yard that I can see through my window, birds will flutter past or onto it and even hop onto the roof in front of my window. The tree is probably older than me and maybe even my siblings… – Anonymous
Humble Little House
Ever since I was little I’ve always loved building things. A particular favorite of mine is building with foam board because of its ease of use with hot glue. – Sam Veague
Sweat to Blood
The passage I am rewriting comes directly after the Passover meal with Jesus’ disciples. Luke 22:39-41, Jesus has just gone up to the Mount of Olives with his disciples and as they approached the top, he told them to pray. After saying this, Jesus goes about 70 meters away and knelt down and began to pray. And that is where this story begins, Jesus has just started to pray. – Daniel MacIntyre
A Man in the Wind
I wrote “A Man in the Wind” to open people’s eyes to see how often we lose ourselves and our faith in the midst of our sinful world. Only God’s love can bring us back into the light of truth, but if we want to receive his light, we need to open our hearts and minds to Him. – Anna Africa
Lifted Arms
Exodus 17:10-13. Before this point the Amalekites have attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses tells Joshua to gather the strongest fighters and go into war. He promises that he shall stand above where the Israelites and Amalekites are engaged in battle with the staff in his hands. Our narrative picks up with Moses standing above the Israelite people raising the staff above his head. – Anna VanHuis