Thoughts Inspired by the Roman Colosseum

Glorious structure...inglorious bastards? What is greatness? Architectural artistry at it's finest...the bloodshed of criminals, and the innocent? Is greatness being a god? Or is greatness dying? As I observed the degenerate ruins of the inside of the Colosseum today, my eyes would not let me marvel at the structure. In no way did I admire the mass amounts of stone still standing, nor the ingenious engineering. I could not open my eyes without seeing the blood. I learned today that at the opening of the Colosseum, a one-hundred day celebration was carried out in which thousands of animals and gladiators were killed, the equivalent of a killing occurring every five minutes. How can I admire that? I can't.

~*~

So many thoughts that I've never pondered before, came to my mind today. Thoughts about ancient Rome, present day Rome, and America. Questions that I don't have the answers to. What is the value of life? Is life sacred or free for the taking? Is life valued or despised...or coveted? Do I value life? Or do I simply take it for granted? Do I realize that my life is affecting others? The inhumanity that humans have displayed over the course of the world reminds me of the magnitude of our sin. I have no right to judge the Romans, Jews, Hitler, white America during the sixties, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, or any other people that have inflicted great pain and injustice in this world. I simply cannot because I am human too and it's evident we are all in need of a Savior. It sickens me to think that there is potential for great evil to be carried out through me. But I am overjoyed in knowing that there is potential for great goodness to be carried out through me as well.

~*~

Towards the end of my observation of the inside of the Colosseum, I stopped at the railing of the second level and just gazed over the interior. I dared to look history in the eye, and to my surprise it was looking back. It was as if history was telling me that this is not finished. The devaluing of life, love, and beauty still plagues us. It didn't end when gladiator fighting stopped being an enjoyed sport. It didn't end when the concentration camps were liberated. It didn't end when the civil rights movement was resolved. It didn't end when Saddam Hussein faced the death penalty. It still rages on.

~*~

I looked over to Lisa, who was standing next to me, and asked her how seeing these things made her feel. Her feelings were much like my own. The experience is waking us up and calling us away from our complacency. She expressed how she has also been unimpressed with the physical greatness of the things we've seen. For whatever reason, God is not allowing us to view these things with a tourist's eyes. There is greater meaning that we can take from these experiences.

~*~

We also talked about what it would have been like for the people who would have been tucked under the center platform knowing that death was what they had to look forward to. To emerge from underneath and see thousands of people who only view your life as a sport. Imagine dying to the fading sounds of cheering? These thoughts baffle me. Even more, imagine being one in this crowd, commoner or emperor, and finding pleasure in spilled blood and cries of pain. One would have to be numb. The conversation turned to the Christians of the early church and what their faith looked like. Numerous Christians were martyred here in the confines of the Colosseum(and many other arenas near Rome.) Their faith was a testament of love, truth, passion, and the example of Christ. In America, can I say the same about my faith? No. I have never been in danger of losing my life because of my faith. I have been in danger of losing other things, like acceptance and the right to pray in school, but never my bodily life. In relation to the risk the early Christians faced, my faith seems so shallow.

~*~

It has been a good day for fruitfulness of thought. My passion right now may or may not affect you at all, I think it's an experience everyone should have. I just want to remind you that too often we take life for granted. We let distractions hinder our view of God's work and instead become useless. I encourage you to intentionally look at life around you and praise God for it. It shouldn't just take tragedy for us to really see. You don't have to be abroad to see greatness: the work of God. I see it most in the small things of life, not the sights and wonders of the world. It's all around us, we just have to look for it. Also I want to thank you all for the encouragement you have been, and it's my sincere hope that you can share this experience with me.

Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Maria

PS: I hope I did not offend anyone with my language in this post. My purpose in using every word was to express as fully as I could, the thoughts I have been having. I went by exact dictionary definitions in regards to my word choices.

Of War and Peace

Walking through Rome at night, I completely saw why the city is known for it's Romantic ambience. At night, the rush of the day ceases. Like a baby put to sleep, peace descends upon the “Eternal City.” Together, the moonlight and street lights conjointly illuminate the piazzas and fountains, where lovers kiss to the street musician's opus. It really is tranquil. This experience is new for me. I'm used to the noise and hustle of American cities, cities that never seem to sleep. Rome at night is the most peaceful time of day.

First on our night adventure, we went to the Colosseum and admired the magnificent structure aglow. We took some pictures and had some good laughs, but we also sat there and soaked it in. Next we walked by the Victor Emmanuel Monument which looks more glorious at night than during the day. We headed down to piazza Campo dei fiori, the location where we learned of Giordano Bruno, a philosopher who was burned alive by the Italian Inquisition, in this very spot. Apparently he had a lot of crazy ideas in favor of heliocentrism and therefore was considered a heretic for believing that the earth revolved around the sun. It was also at this piazza that we walked by location where Julius Caesar was assassinated back in 44 BC! 

From there we journey to piazza Navona and admired the Bernini fountains before walking on to the piazza where the Pantheon proudly stands. It was by the pantheon where the most street musicians were. Lot's of couples were kissing...but it wasn't degrading. Strangely, it was “romantic” to witness. After our sight director, Kristen, pried us away from the sights of the Pantheon, she treated us to best gelato in town. I had a chocolate chip flavor along with hazelnut, I love italian ice cream! Our last main stop was by the Trevi Fountain. This was the first time I saw the infamous fountain. The shadows and lights added dimension to Neptune and the horses, making them more life-like. The clear water spewed out into the sparkling pool of the fountain, calming it's onlookers.

The night was lovely. I enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets and seeing the city in a new light. However our peaceful night was ruffled when we got on the bus to ride home. We were sitting in our seats discussing the sights of the evening when our talk was interrupted by slurred yelling from the bus doors. We looked up to see a tall, unshaven italian man stumbling into the bus bringing with him the scent of booze. He had been following after this large black man who sat conveniently right behind us. The words that leaked out of the incoherent man's mouth, we did not understand, but it was not hard to figure out that he was spewing racist remarks to the man behind us. The black man remained silent and didn't pay any attention to his intoxicated offender, not even a glance. The drunk soon gave up and somehow moved forward on the bus to an empty seat, an empty seat right beside one of the guys in our group. That hushed all attempts at conversation we were trying to make. The man soon started ranting on to our friend in Italian while chewing and spitting out pieces of the bread he was eating. Thoughts raced through our heads about what we should do. Get off the bus and walk the whole way back? We figured silence was the best route, so we sat silently and made a cautious effort not to make eye contact with the man. I felt bad for our friend Sean, who had the drunk man practically leaning on him.

~*~

Just when we thought the man was calming down, another man gets on the bus who is higher than a kite. On his arms are visible holes where he had repeatedly injected himself. He sits in the back of the bus as well and looks like he intends to mind his own business. Until the drunk man starts raving on again to the black man. The guy who was high starts talking back to the drunk, only fueling the fire. The people in the front of the bus are by this point noticing the scene, some look humored and others look worried, like Kristen. We just sit silently and hope our stop comes swiftly. I pray that neither of the men pull out weapons. The drunk stands again, his voice rising higher, and starts fumbling in his pockets. We freeze, hoping and praying its not a weapon...it's a...cellphone. Holding onto the railing in the bus the man begins taking pictures with his phone of the two men in the back. Honestly, that was a relief. Eventually the man staggers up to the front of the bus and we all quickly stand up and move near the doors. Finally, after what seemed like forever, our stop comes and we exit the bus faster than we ever have. The bus drives off, we are safe.

~*~

Rome really is very safe. In fact, there is a shockingly higher crime rate in the U.S than anywhere in Europe. So no need to worry. We all travel in groups and watch out for each other. It was just ironic that during our night tour we all kept expressing how peaceful the experience was turning out to be, but the end was quite opposite. The whole bus experience could have been worse in my eyes, I felt more sad than afraid. It was sad because here are these men, who to them, this is life. Getting drunk, getting high, being discriminated against...These are hurting people and Jesus wants to give them life. What makes me even more sad than these hurting strangers, is the realization that there are hurting people all around us. People who don't know what beauty or love really is like because all they've known is pain. Sometimes the pain is apparent, but often it is hidden. This is why Christians need to be sensitive. With this war and sickness all around us...what are we doing to help restore the peace?

See...

Swaying in the calm breeze, the vibrant purple flowers turned their teacup faces toward the sun. Being. Neither toiling nor spinning. Beautiful. Waltzing with honeybees. Impacting. Beautifying and sustaining the chaos. Life.

This was what I did for our first day of class. Sat outside in the cool breeze and watched a flower display fully it's purpose in existing. Dr.Szabo told us to take 15 minutes, I could have taken longer. But in the brevity of my observation I was amazed to rediscover what I'm often too distracted to notice: God breathing life, sustaining life, being glorified by life. At first when I sat down I just saw some flowers, but I forced myself to be still. Soon after, the flowers reminded me of beauty. How beauty is natural, a reflection of God, and how it “simply is.¹”Then I thought of how shallow and restricted my understanding of beauty is: fashion, definable, physical and fading. If only we looked more upon God's face, and less at our own, we would be doing ourselves and everything around us a bigger favor. We would transform from temporary to eternal. We would spread life. We would just be.

Sincerely,

Maria

1“Beauty is not caused, it is.” - Emily Dickinson

Moving In With The Nuns

      When the whole east coast was still sleeping, we were arriving bright and early into Rome at the exciting hour of 8:15 in the morning.  The tiredness hadn’t quite set in but we were so happy to finally be here that we quickly moved through customs, found our luggage, and then were warmly welcomed by Dr. Szabo and Kristen.

      It all happened so quickly. Before I knew it we were riding a bus through Rome and getting a taste of Italian driving. It is a gorgeous city…the houses all have cute balconies furnished with hanging plants and flowers.  Huge old buildings tower over the artsy cobblestone streets. Trees as tall as the main street buildings (if not taller) line the streets. I love the trees here. They were on of the first things I noticed when we arrived. One of my favorites is the Italian Stone Pines. They are very tall and most have a large circumference but they do not branch off until the very top where the needles make a green bowl-like covering.

      But we were fading quickly. The lack of sleep was weighing heavily on us, most of us unpacked, underwent part of orientation, took a grounds tour, and listened to a cell phone salesman while barely being able to keep our eyes open. Finally they let us take a 2-hour nap that helped a bit. We had homemade spaghetti dinner that was marvelous! Shortly afterwards we walked a few blocks to have our first gelato (Italian ice cream) experience ever. It was so good!!!

       Today we woke up to a fresh breeze blowing through our window. They don’t have screens here, only shutters, so we can open our huge windows and see the gardens, feel the breeze, and hear the city sounds all at the same time.

      We went through our Rome manual today and learned all of the important policies on community living. I learned that I probably should avoid making-out with someone in the student lounge because it’s not pleasant for the other students (and not very romantic either.) ;)

      This afternoon we toured the neighborhood, which included finding the bank and grocery store. I really do enjoy walks. It was a nice afternoon activity. Tonight we have nothing big planned since most of us are still not completely over our jet lag. Rumor has it though, that the Vatican is on the list of activities this coming week!

Until Tomorrow,

Maria

Reveries and Realities

Another step is made, erecting a cloud of dust and sending gravel trickling down over the edge. The view is worth capturing, as the black of the night peels away and the sky's canvas is stroked with orange, pink, and pale blue. This is the birth of a new day. A fresh start, an untried experience. As remarkable as the panoramic sight is, the fog of the unlit valley still haunts. Is it worth the risk when so much is unknown? I look behind me one last time at the path that brought me here. There is nothing to go back to, only a jump left to make. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. And leaning forward, I release every last bit of control, and go plunging into consciousness.

I am not in Rome yet, but I began the journey almost a year ago when I signed up for an experience that seemed so unreal it was as if I was dreaming. Until now, it seemed too awe-inspiring to be real. Yet I continued to prepare myself for it and tell everyone dear to me of it's coming. Dazed, I packed as lightly as I could and traveled to Pittsburgh the next morning. It wasn't until I saw the rest of the group and the release of my mother's embrace that it hit me: this is real, and this is really happening.

As many of you know, we did not fly out as planned. At first our flight was delayed because of mechanical problems and two hours later when the problem was still not resolved, our flight was cancelled and we were being handed vouchers for a hotel and meals. We were all kind of bummed, but in a way, the situation has been good in many ways. Our group really never officially met and this extra time is giving us a chance to bond before we enter europe. Additionally, this allotted time is giving us a chance to rest one last time before we leave (a time of rest that we probably would not have taken on our own.)

So these are my thoughts for the day. The dream has transformed into a tangible reality and I'm jumping because there is no need to turn back.

Until Tomorrow,
Maria Danelle Smith