Legacy, Love and little things in Ceasarea

This morning after a beautiful breakfast we left Tel Aviv and headed to Caesarea. Here we saw an ancient town including a Roman theater and a hippodrome where horses raced and eventually gladiators fought. As we sat in the seats of the amphitheater we read from acts 10. We considered Cornelius, the roman centurion, from Caesarea, who was the first gentile to become a Christian. We considered the legacy of this one man’s faith and I was challenged to ponder what legacy my faith will leave.

Caesarea was stunningly beautiful. The sea so blue, the sun so hot and the remains so striking. In this place of such beauty we paused to consider the nature of Roman occupation and what that meant for the early Christians. We thought about the counter-cultural message of Jesus and the fact Jesus calls us to still be radical and counter-cultural with his message of love.

 

I was also fascinated by the archaeological evidence of the excavations found along our walk. As I walked along the town, towards the towering walls I was struck by something captivating in a seemingly uninteresting place. Next to a tree there was a pile of pillars and pieces of stone haphazardly leaning against it. There were pieces of history and items that reflected everyday life left forgotten at the side whilst people clamoured to see the bigger, more interesting pieces of history.

At this, I felt God say: “How often do you miss the little things? Where are those thing of beauty, of importance, of kingdom value that you have overlooked in favour of something bigger and better?”

Lord, help me to really see the seemingly insignificant things today.