Roman Roads: Finding Hope In Hopeless Times - Amy Lively

My son, Caleb, is 8 years old. He’s a very astute kid.

At bedtime, as kids often do, he began to open up to me about his concerns.  Why are we moving and going to a new school?  What if he can’t make friends there?   What would happen when Obama, the only president my son has ever known, wasn’t President anymore? Would the next President be good or bad?

I felt my own anxiety rise at the implications of these questions! But, I pulled it together.

“Caleb”, I said, “When I start feeling hopeless and anxious, I think of the Roman Roads…”

“OH, MOM!!! Not the Roman Roads AGAIN!”

Well, apparently, I’ve used this story before.

But, with the Christian World seemingly sliding into a great cultural abyss, the truth buried in the Roman Roads helps me muster my strength and overwhelms me with hope.

In Ancient Times, as the Romans expanded their vast empire, they created an engineering marvel…roads. Spread over 50,000 square miles and several continents, these roads were a deadly weapon. Their primary job was to get Roman troops to the next city quickly and efficiently in Rome’s quest to conquer the world and bring it under their control.

Imagine, living in Jerusalem and seeing roads being built outside your city. What a horribly slow torture that must have been…knowing your days were numbered.  The Jews must have wondered, “God! Where are you????” Imagine their panic and fear…or maybe that is not so hard for you to imagine at all.  Have you ever felt that sense of impending doom?

By the time Jesus was walking the earth and ministering, the Jewish resentment and hatred toward the Romans was palpable. The Jews were a subdued people. They were forced to watch as their peers embraced Helenistic beliefs, their culture and traditions eroding before their eyes.

When Jesus, the supposed Messiah, did not appear to have any desire to save them from Roman Rule, the Jews turned on Him.  Any Messiah worth His salt would surely save His people from this disaster.

There was just no way, from their human perspective, that ANY good…any at all….could come from this miserable existence, surrounded by Pagan rulers and immersed in a debauched society.

This was the end. There was no where to go from here.

But that’s the thing.

There were places to go. Because there were roads.

This evil, heathen, godless empire built roads for their soldiers, and quite literally paved the way for the spreading of the Gospel.

In Mark 16:15, Jesus commands His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”

This command would have been virtually impossible if not for the Roman Roads.

So, what does this mean for us today?

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together, for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Here, in America, we often use this verse as a source of comfort.  No matter what, all things will work together for good.  Often times, that “good” gets interpreted in our heads as “happiness” or “success” or “safety”.  But the ultimate “good” is twofold…becoming more like Christ and disseminating the Gospel.

What hopeless disaster in our times could be the next Roman Road that spreads the gospel like wildfire?  Economic hardships?  The Refugee Crisis?  A volatile election year?  Our response might be as simple as a prayer:

“Lord, I see no good from this circumstance in my (family, nation, job, etc.). Open my eyes to how You are using it to make me more like You.  I bow to Your Sovereignty.  Use this situation to bring people to Christ, and allow me to be a part of that story.”

Take heart.  Have courage.  The Roman Roads that brought persecution to God’s people are the very roads He used to spread the gospel.  The gospel is alive and well today…Rome is in ruins.