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Topic: hope (03/29/04)
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TITLE: Crossroads of Hope By Dave Alt 04/02/04 |
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Men, women and children entered the front courtyards freely, oblivious to the approaching centurions.
Rome did not want such buildings or people to have hope of the future. The commanding centurion was of the same mind and gladly carried out the orders he’d been given. His century of soldiers burned the buildings to the ground, seizing many whom had been within. A few individuals managed to escape, but he was satisfied with his haul.
Following routine they killed a few of the prisoners to cow the others. Most however were marked for slavery or “work” in the coliseum in distant Rome. His superiors would be pleased at his actions.
One of the escapees who had melted into the surrounding crowd of bystanders lingered nearby to hear the charges being read against those who had been captured. Then, with the smell of smoke still in the air, she left hurriedly. Others had to be warned.
Once back in the house shared by her father and his two siblings, she explained to them what she had witnessed. When they heard the bad news they became frantic. Another family member had been in one of the church buildings at the time of the raid but had not gotten away.
All save one of their immediate kin were members of the infant faith known as Christianity. The family patriarch, though now dead, had turned his family down that path two decades earlier after hearing Christ speak in a neighboring town. Though they still carried their Jewish ancestry with pride, they embraced the new faith with zeal.
Rome was not pleased with Christians or Jews though, and blamed them for many things unjustly. They were branded as troublemakers and rabble-rousers, a danger to the empire. Each adult in the house knew that they too might be arrested for no reason.
When a small squad of soldiers was seen coming down the street they panicked. The wooden shutters were closed and each person fell silent. Was Rome coming for them even now?
In an upper room, one of the babes began to wail in his small bed. Infants knew nothing of Rome or soldiers or death, only desire for their next meal. Quickly the child’s mother ascended the stairs to give suck and quiet the child.
Then the soldiers were alongside the door and everyone froze. Would they knock or just burst through? Neither dreaded action came. The centurions passed by, evidently just on routine patrol.
It was decided then that a family meeting had to be called. The streets of Jerusalem were becoming dangerous. Tanners they may be, but their valuable commodities would not protect them from Rome’s fury.
Her uncle wanted to invite another family member to the meeting. One of his sons was a popular local minstrel. He knew Romans better than most of the family and might have good advice on what to do.
The others balked at that. His son was not Christian, nor even faithful to their hereditary faith of Judaism, and favored the Romans. Whatever they decided at the meeting would inevitably wind up in the ears of their oppressors. Her uncle was displeased at the family reaction to his desire but remained silent.
When the time came for the meeting that evening though, her uncle was absent. The others were alarmed. Had he slipped away to tell his son of the meeting?
Some distance away, he was indeed pleading with his son to come discuss family business. The son had been busy entertaining some merchants and was slightly drunk. However, he decided to go with his father and see what was happening with the family.
Back home, the others went about discussing their options. If the minstrel came with soldier friends, they would not resist arrest. They would cling to their faith and their hope of life everlasting even if they were condemned.
As they discussed their options, the two missing family members made their entrance. The son by this time had sobered up a bit, but alcohol was still on his breath. He listened patiently as the family explained their options.
As talk turned from settling elsewhere to armed resistance against their oppressors, the minstrel became angry. His clients were Roman. Talk such as that was treason against the empire.
Only the impassioned plea of his mother could quench his anger. Hotly, for her sake, he agreed not to mention their conversation to the local authorities. Then he left the house, not wanting to hear more.
The meeting went long into the night. Some wanted to move to different places, others wanted to remain and fight. Still others wanted to stay but sacrifice to Caesar. It was just a little action after all. Would not that be preferable to death?
In the end though her father, aunt and uncle decided not to sacrifice to Caesar. Each would take their families down different roads however, which suited their different individual inclinations.
Her father had the courage to keep his family in Jerusalem, working to enlarge the numbers of the faithful there. Her aunt would go with her husband and children to Greece. Her uncle would take his family, without the minstrel, and go to Italy, into the very teeth of the Roman Empire. Persecution there had paradoxically not yet reached the fevered pitch that it had in Jerusalem.
Even in Greece and Italy however the family members vowed to preach the good news and work to change the Roman perception of Christians. Despite the events and decisions that were pulling them towards separate lands, they would remain true to Christ’s purpose.
Their hope in Christ demanded no less of them, no matter what their oppressor’s efforts would be.