I have realized one of the reasons I don’t multi-task
well. It isn’t because I can’t do two
things at once, it is because I am doing HUNDREDS of things at once all the
time! At least, in my brain. I don’t know if I ever process things just on
a surface level; sometimes I wish I could! But, alas, this is how God made
me. It makes living with me a constant
safari into the wilds of the soul. Just
ask Roger…poor guy.
So,
Rome was so much fun. Roger and I had a
wonderful week to re-connect and focus on one another as we “bashed around Rome”
– to almost quote a movie. We walked
everywhere, close to 7 hours a day. My
feet paid the price for that one as they swelled up to twice their normal size. Oh well, they’re back to normal now. At least it made it so I didn’t put on any
weight during the whole trip!!!! Italy
has the BEST ice cream!
But for
me, Rome was more than a romantic adventure with my husband (though it was
definitely that); it was a study in the finiteness of man despite his seemingly
unquenchable drive for earthly significance and immortality. Everywhere we went, there were monuments
raised for heroes of the people: national heroes who conquered foreign lands
and peoples, religious heroes who lived to serve the people but are now
worshipped as gods – and some religious men who were not heroes at all, but who
wanted to be remembered and worshipped as gods though they were merely men.
Two
examples of this stand out to me that I would like to share with you.
Inside the Vatican |
On
Monday, Roger and I visited the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine
Chapel. Now, all my good Baptist friends
are going to say, “Why would you go there?”
But, you can’t really go to Rome and not see something so famous – at least,
we can’t. Let me just say, it was
absolutely stunning. Oh my
goodness. The sculptures, paintings,
tapestries…I don’t even have words for their beauty. The building that is St. Peter’s is
magnificent. Even the ceilings of the
Vatican are inordinately beautiful. Art
in various forms by Raphael, Michelangelo, and others adorns every niche and
cranny; it is a feast for the eyes – sometimes a gluttonous feast.
The Dome of St. Peter's Basilica |
One of Raphael's Rooms - Apartment of one of the Pope's that was painted by Raphael |
Another
thing that troubled my soul was the shrine-like atmosphere of all the buildings
of worship (I don’t just have this problem in Rome with the Catholic places of
worship, by the way…). It’s as if the
early simplicity of the Gospel and of the followers of Jesus themselves being the
temple of God
was lost in
the first couple centuries as the people reverted back to a physical temple
mentality which was common to both Judaism and paganism. Ephesians 2:19-22 says, “Now,
therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with
the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
in whom the whole building, being joined
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being
built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit,” (did you know that early Christians in the
Roman Empire were feared and hated as Atheists because they didn’t worship a
god who could be seen, they didn’t worship in a visible temple, and they didn’t
offer physical sacrifices?). It was sad, really. So many people going into temples to do some
religious ritual in order to appease God’s wrath and gain some favor in His
sight when Jesus has already done all that for them! Paul said in Galatians 2:16, “knowing that a
man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ,
even we (the Jewish apostles) have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works
of the law, no flesh shall be justified.”
Then,
on Saturday, our last day in Rome, Roger and I wandered around and stumbled onto
some of the ruins of Nero’s palace.
Trouble is, Nero committed suicide 4 years later and within 10 years the palace was stripped of most of its marble, ivory, and precious stones, and the grounds were filled in with dirt so it could be built over. Within 40 years, the “Golden House” was completely…gone… Today, you can see only some of the remains. We were not able to go inside because it has been closed due to the instability of the structure.
But, there is a children’s
playground there where parents sit on benches and watch their children play on
slides and swings, and there is a basketball court where young men can play a
pick-up game of hoops.
Nero – one of the most deranged of the Roman emperors – one of the most bloody persecutors of early Christians – built for himself a great kingdom and made himself out to be god. Where is he now? Where is his Golden Palace? It’s been made into nothing and in fact was wiped out of existence for thousands of years before its crumbling remains were discovered. Nero lived for a short 31 years and was emperor for 14 of them. The Roman empire is now gone. 2000 years later, we are ooh-ing and ahh-ing over its crumbling remains, and though Nero tried to wipe out the Christians of his day, we are all over the world – part of a Kingdom that will never be destroyed. What a very visual reminder that this world and all its kingdoms will pass away. Life is but a vapor; here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus asked this question; “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” Which kingdom am I most concerned about? The kingdom of “me”? Making much of myself and wanting others to do the same? Building a legacy for…me? Leaving my mark of the world? Or living for the Kingdom that will never pass away? The Kingdom of light and love – the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
In 2000
years, I wonder who will be walking the grounds where the White House used to
stand, or the Lincoln Memorial, or the Washington Monument, or the Supreme
Court, or the Pentagon…or one of our mega-churches. Will there even be anything there? In the
end, does it even really matter? What lasts forever? Man’s opinions of me? My
opinion of me? The world’s opinion of me? What good is it if I feed a starving
body but neglect a lost and dying soul? What does it profit if I provide basic
necessities to the masses but don’t lead them to the Bread of Life? What have I
accomplished if I build my company into a multi-billion dollar success, but don’t
teach my children the love of Christ? So what if I go back to school and earn
my degree and find myself and fulfill my dreams at the expense of time and
energy to disciple my children in the ways of the Cross. Oh, my kingdom is so insignificant a thing to
pour so much of my time and energy and resources into by stressing over the things
that won’t matter in 10 years, much less in 2,000 years. Oh that I would be freed from this compulsion
to fret over my kingdom (i.e. what people think of me, making something for
myself…of myself…). Let me live to make God’s name big rather than my own. Let me live for God’s eternal Kingdom that
will never pass away!