"Triumph and Trial in Ancient Rome"
Towering over the landscape of ancient Rome is Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Our tour guide informed us that it has the tallest dome in the world and from top to bottom, the structure stretches nearly 450 feet into the air. Diana and I decided to climb to the base of the dome and overlook the square and the city. It was an experience we won’t forget. And all of my older friends were right. It is better to take on the challenges of travel while you have the legs and enthusiasm to do it. Thank you, Westminster, for this special opportunity.
Out of sight from the rooftop, however, was a smaller, less imposing structure, tucked away in the shadow of the Colosseum. The view there was far less spectacular. The Mamertine Prison is an ancient jail cell used to detain those scheduled to be put to death. You walk down a few flights of stairs to a non- descript, damp, circular small basement. Stone walls create a dull gray dome of sorts which leaves a small opening in the roof which serves as the ancient entrance down into the cell. Once dropped in, there is no way out. Limited light shines through from the first floor. Inside, there is a modest altar, dedicated to the legacy of Peter and Paul. Both, according to tradition, did time there before their executions. There are a few plaques paying tribute to them in Latin. There is no gift shop or cafe.
Such contrasting places of inspiration. The former speaks to triumph, the latter to trial. Paul’s second letter to Timothy was likely composed in this subterranean space and that is the epistle we explore on Sunday mornings in October. It is instinctive to say, “Hallelujah” while ascending the Basilica, pausing to look down, across and up at the glorious majesty of the interior of the largest church in the world. The question that haunts me, in retrospect, is whether my capacity for doxology would be as present if I were in chains, like Paul, in a cold, dark place.
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