I left the Colosseum different than I walked in.
When we landed in Italy, I stepped off the plane as a gawking tourist, anxious to see the heart of the ancient Roman Empire. Twenty-four hours later, standing inside Rome’s most famous landmark, I experienced what the Apostle Paul might call “being transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
I had the privilege of traveling to Rome with a group of students, professors and friends of Trevecca’s master’s program in theology and biblical studies. Throughout our travels, we studied Paul’s letter to the Romans in the city where its ancient recipients lived and worshiped.
We enjoyed the grandeur, the art, the mystery and the theological riches of ancient cathedrals and basilicas. These included Santa Maria Maggiore (the resting place of the late Pope Francis), St. Paul Outside the Walls (the resting place of the Apostle Paul) and the famous St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. We walked the streets of the Roman Forum and contemplated the lives of Phoebe, Priscilla, Aquila, Peter and Paul, imagining ourselves walking in their footsteps. The Pantheon, a Roman temple converted into a Christian church, astounded us with its brilliant architecture and surprising history. Down below the beautiful Italian landscape we descended through the catacombs, ancient burial sites where the bodies of early Christians were preserved to await the resurrection together.
We were expertly guided through the city by Footsteps Ministries, led by Dr. Jeff Cramer and our Italian guide, Fabrizio Ribelli. Dr. Tim Gaines offered insights from Roman and Church history,. In several special locations, we paused to study the book of Romans with Dr. Ryan Hansen. This brings us back to the Colosseum.
Standing in this ancient landmark where countless people lost their lives at the hands of the empire, Dr. Hansen described the weapons and wrath of Rome. We weren’t just standing in a historical site or an architectural marvel, but in a massive shrine to violence, conquest and control. This was a towering symbol of Rome’s unstoppable power.
Yet here we were, studying the good news of a man crucified on a Roman cross as the Colosseum crumbled around us.
A quick look around revealed that Rome’s power stood in ruins, while our humble group of Christians stood as a testament to Christ’s paradoxical victory through death. The empire and its weapons have decayed, while the faith it persecuted persists. The cross itself, once a symbol of fear, brutality and death, has become a renowned symbol of hope, peace and love. In Rome, the cross was shameful. In Christ, the cross is glory. No wonder Paul assured the Roman church: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God” (Romans 1:16).
And so we stood in the Colosseum as “more than conquerors,” not because we had crushed our enemies, but because the God of peace crushes Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). Christ has triumphed over sin and death!
Beyond the Colosseum, we encountered many symbols of Rome’s pure might: arches, structures and statues that hailed the empire and its power. All the while, we read about another kingdom: “the Kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). We encountered the mindset of a world where the most powerful competed for honor. Then we read Paul’s guidance that followers of Jesus should compete to give honor away (Romans 12:10). We learned that adopted descendants of Julius Caesar were called “sons of god,” ruling as heirs to Caesar and bringing the gospel of Pax Romana to the ends of the earth. Then we read the scriptures, detailing how the powerless are adopted by the Father as co-heirs with the true Son of God, that we may live out His good news of peace, love and joy by the Spirit’s power.
In Rome, we saw with new eyes. The empire seems mighty to a mind conformed to the patterns of the world. But the mind set on the Spirit learns to see the truth: no caesar ever got up from his grave. Indeed, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
