Thursday was our day off and boy was it much needed after a day at Pompeii. I didn't wake up until noon our time which is 6 in the morning for most of you. Some of us then went to this great place for lunch and man on man was it GOOD!!!! Some of the best Italian food I have ever had (beside my Aunt Pam's and and Uncle Ralph's) We then came back and did pretty much nothing for the rest of the day. We went for gelato after dinner and then came back and watch a video on the Colosseum and the Forum that we were going to see the next day. I know that there isn't much here but the day off was a nice break to the very busy week that we have had so far. It hard to believe that we have seen so much and we have been here not even a full week yet. I look forward to the come weeks and what we have ahead of us.
Friday- There are words to describe the feeling that I felt yesterday but I will try my best. We went to the Colosseum and the Forum yesterday and the magnitude of the places are truly mind blowing. I am finally understanding things that I never really understood before. Rome truly was a beautiful city in the days of its high point. Yes, there were things that went on here that were not pleasing to Christians (but look at our society today) The way that they build things and just the detail that went into these things were incredible. The Colosseum was bigger that I could have ever imagined. I walked in and it was the strangest thing to know that emperors and poor people alike had entered these walls before me was a humbling experience. Knowing that Christians that came before us had given their lives here at this very place was sobering, and wondering if our society would ever get to that point again where we are once again killed for entertainment. Now, imagine yourselves a first century Christian you have been arrested because you were worshiping Christ. Instead of turning your back on Christ you stand up for your beliefs. You know this will get you kill in one way or another but you stand your grounds. You are tried and sentenced. Your form of death is the some form of entertainment in the Colosseum. You know that the starve the animals weeks before and then right before they let them loose they give them a taste of human blood. It is the day of the games and you are led from your cell to the platform that will take you to the floor of the arena. As the trap door opens this is the site that awaits you. 50,000 to 80,000 screaming people. They have come to watch you and possible hundreds of other people and animals die.The smell of blood was already strong in the air making you feel sick to your stomach. The people were already in a blood frenzy and seeing you and the ten other Christians that were going to die with you all that more excited. Some of them were tied to post while you and the others were let there defenseless against the blood thirsty animals getting ready to be loosed. You guys gather together and start praying that God would give you peace and strength in the moments to come and then you see get to see your heavenly father soon.
That my friends is what the Colosseum was there for. to the keep the masses entertained and happy. It give them what they wanted and they wanted bread and blood. We watched Gladiator last night after being at the Colosseum and I finally get the movie, I finally see what it is all about. (yes they were not historically accurate and there were things that were there cause it is a movie) but I can have a better feeling of what it must have been like.
The next place that we went was the Forum and did I have the wrong idea of what it would be like. I always just thought that it was a few builds that were for their government and that was really it. Oh how wrong I was there. The Forum is massive with multiple building of all different kinds. It really was the heart of the city. It was were there met for politics (side note there are game boards built in to the steps of where the council met and they would sit around on the steps playing these games) it is where several major temples were, there were markets and different shops. There are different victory arches ( these are exactly what they sound like. When a famous general of emperor won a major battle they would build these arches and have then ride under them) they depicted difference scenes. You have to use your imagination when you go to the Forum since most the of the stiff is in complete ruins now, but man you can see a picture of what Rome looked liked. It truly was the center of the known world.
We ended our day with going to some catacombs that are close to the convent that they are staying at. That was again another very interesting experience. One that I am not likely to forget for a long time. These particular catacombs were 9 miles long and had anywhere from 30 to 40 thousand graves. There was a painting of Mary and the Christ child that dates back to the 2 century. (History Geek moment!!!! btw there have been a lot of those on this trip) The parts that we got to see most of the graves have been opened either by grave robbers looking for gold or later those that wanted bones of the saints. The catacombs for awhile and some of the graves opened and the bones still in there but unfortunately people would take them so they were forced to remove them to protect them. There are parts of the catacombs that are still left unopened and untouched. While we were down there as well there was a group that was holding mass, that was something that opened a discussion.
To finish our day some of us went to an Italian restaurant and got pizza to go. I hate to tell this to all of you back home but American pizza is not nearly as good as Italian pizza. It is a then crust (which I normally don't like but this was GOOD) It is then cook in a brick oven (yes, the pizza get a little burnt but that is where all the favor is)
I hope you guys are enjoying this blog as you get a little bit of an idea of what I am seeing and feeling as I am here in Rome.
Friday- There are words to describe the feeling that I felt yesterday but I will try my best. We went to the Colosseum and the Forum yesterday and the magnitude of the places are truly mind blowing. I am finally understanding things that I never really understood before. Rome truly was a beautiful city in the days of its high point. Yes, there were things that went on here that were not pleasing to Christians (but look at our society today) The way that they build things and just the detail that went into these things were incredible. The Colosseum was bigger that I could have ever imagined. I walked in and it was the strangest thing to know that emperors and poor people alike had entered these walls before me was a humbling experience. Knowing that Christians that came before us had given their lives here at this very place was sobering, and wondering if our society would ever get to that point again where we are once again killed for entertainment. Now, imagine yourselves a first century Christian you have been arrested because you were worshiping Christ. Instead of turning your back on Christ you stand up for your beliefs. You know this will get you kill in one way or another but you stand your grounds. You are tried and sentenced. Your form of death is the some form of entertainment in the Colosseum. You know that the starve the animals weeks before and then right before they let them loose they give them a taste of human blood. It is the day of the games and you are led from your cell to the platform that will take you to the floor of the arena. As the trap door opens this is the site that awaits you. 50,000 to 80,000 screaming people. They have come to watch you and possible hundreds of other people and animals die.The smell of blood was already strong in the air making you feel sick to your stomach. The people were already in a blood frenzy and seeing you and the ten other Christians that were going to die with you all that more excited. Some of them were tied to post while you and the others were let there defenseless against the blood thirsty animals getting ready to be loosed. You guys gather together and start praying that God would give you peace and strength in the moments to come and then you see get to see your heavenly father soon.
That my friends is what the Colosseum was there for. to the keep the masses entertained and happy. It give them what they wanted and they wanted bread and blood. We watched Gladiator last night after being at the Colosseum and I finally get the movie, I finally see what it is all about. (yes they were not historically accurate and there were things that were there cause it is a movie) but I can have a better feeling of what it must have been like.
The next place that we went was the Forum and did I have the wrong idea of what it would be like. I always just thought that it was a few builds that were for their government and that was really it. Oh how wrong I was there. The Forum is massive with multiple building of all different kinds. It really was the heart of the city. It was were there met for politics (side note there are game boards built in to the steps of where the council met and they would sit around on the steps playing these games) it is where several major temples were, there were markets and different shops. There are different victory arches ( these are exactly what they sound like. When a famous general of emperor won a major battle they would build these arches and have then ride under them) they depicted difference scenes. You have to use your imagination when you go to the Forum since most the of the stiff is in complete ruins now, but man you can see a picture of what Rome looked liked. It truly was the center of the known world.
We ended our day with going to some catacombs that are close to the convent that they are staying at. That was again another very interesting experience. One that I am not likely to forget for a long time. These particular catacombs were 9 miles long and had anywhere from 30 to 40 thousand graves. There was a painting of Mary and the Christ child that dates back to the 2 century. (History Geek moment!!!! btw there have been a lot of those on this trip) The parts that we got to see most of the graves have been opened either by grave robbers looking for gold or later those that wanted bones of the saints. The catacombs for awhile and some of the graves opened and the bones still in there but unfortunately people would take them so they were forced to remove them to protect them. There are parts of the catacombs that are still left unopened and untouched. While we were down there as well there was a group that was holding mass, that was something that opened a discussion.
To finish our day some of us went to an Italian restaurant and got pizza to go. I hate to tell this to all of you back home but American pizza is not nearly as good as Italian pizza. It is a then crust (which I normally don't like but this was GOOD) It is then cook in a brick oven (yes, the pizza get a little burnt but that is where all the favor is)
I hope you guys are enjoying this blog as you get a little bit of an idea of what I am seeing and feeling as I am here in Rome.
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