First Impressions Are Impressive

Half asleep from the overnight flight, I tried to focus on the countryside as our taxi drove the 20 miles from airport to hotel. To be honest, I don't remember much, however, I vividly remember coming out of a tunnel and face to face with the Colosseum. Wow! How can you not be impressed with such an imposing structure built to house sporting events for vast crowds (and to think it had a retractable roof to shelter from the sun). Later after checking into the hotel a local bus took us back and we walked through many ruins of Ancient Rome. To say the least, they are impressive in size and when one sees pictures of the original structures superimposed over the ruins, well, its even more incredible. Yet the ruins speak of the best man can do, yet producing only a culture filled with indulgence, immorality, intoxication and idolatry. One can not miss the mixture of this decadent life style with the many evidences of the worship of pagan gods. Paul writing to that city wrote "for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. . . because knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. . . wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts" (Romans 1:18-25).

Yet ancient Rome is only part of the First Impressions. After a good nights sleep, its off to Vatican City, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. No study of current Christianity can be complete without understanding how the church has moved through history and in particular how the Catholic Church has developed. The guide continued to note that everything was designed to impress the visitor with the wealth and size of the Church. She was right, the structures, sculptures and system are impressive. One is left feeling incredibly insignificant in the vast space of St. Peter's Basilica and incredibly unsophisticated in the overwhelming art of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museum. Yet the guide also repeatedly showed us how the art was often taken from the sculptures of Ancient Greece and Rome. For example, the face of God in Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment" painting is identical to the face of Apollo in Greek Sculpture. An even greater insight came when our guide was explaining the beliefs of Catholicism and said "you may ask me if this is true and I answer 'I was not there so how could I know. It is a matter of your faith'". I couldn't escape the words of Christ to the Pharisees when He noted they make "the Word of God of none effect through your tradition" (Mk 7:8-13).

Well, the first impression of Rome is IMPRESSIVE, however, it all has to do with the works of men rather than the work of God! Yet early this morning, Lynette and I read Paul's other comment to the church at Rome when he said, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world" (Rom 1:8). In some ways not much has changed. It is still a wonder how perverted man without God can become and how glorious it is when the gospel of God becomes the "power of God to salvation" (Rom. 1:16,17).