By Rick for the Squad
The question of the day on Tuesday was “what is the gospel?”
We went to the Coliseum and any pictures you’ve seen just don’t do justice to the incredible size of the place. Even in ruins it is impressive and doesn’t take much imagination to picture it in its glory day with tens of thousands of people cheering on their champions fighting to the death.
Too many Christians lost their lives here as traitors to the empire, having aligned themselves with Jesus as King. Walking through the ruins of the Roman Forum we began to get just a glimpse of the might of Rome, its power to enforce peace and stability, and the significance of declaring Jesus as true king and prince of peace at this time and place in history. The gospel (good news) of Jesus was never a private, personal matter, but rather a reshaping of society in truth and love that rattled the Roman Empire at the highest level.
After walking through the historical district, we had lunch in a cafe right next to the Trevi fountain where the ancient Roman aqueduct ended and provided water at a crossroads. Today of course it is richly carved and packed with tourists. Rome is a very walkable city and the public transportation has been excellent and easy to use. We did some souvenir shopping at a flea market back near the Vatican and ended the day with a spectacular meal–Italian pasta and pizza on an outdoor patio.
After a brief but good night’s sleep, we’ve packed up, checked out, arrived at the airport, said goodbye to Rachel, Kyson and Cailey and are now looking forward to an uneventful flight to Montreal and Vancouver! (Parents, our flight is AC307 from Montreal, arriving at 745pm). We’re looking forward to seeing you all!