"Ah Ha" Moments

Have you ever seen, heard, or read something that on the surface seems to have very little potential to change the way you do or think about things but in reality it changes or enlightens your whole self? Since being in Rome, there have already been multiple occasions where this has happened to me. Because of this, I am going to make a serious of posts called the "'Ah Ha' Moments" ("Ah Ha" copyrighted by Zoe Ellen Azzi) over the semester mentioning these moments. These will not be detailed accounts of the moments, only snippets with brief commentary. Here are a few from my first 2 weeks here in Rome:

1. Acts 2:42-47

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

There is a little bit of this concept of the early church here on the Rome campus. Almost every meal is eaten together. The teachers and their kids eat with the students. There seems to be a unity among everyone that you usually don't get in a school setting. While great wonders and signs are not taking place, meals are shared, teaching is adhered to and everyone has a common goal/mind. I wouldn't call it a perfect community in a Christian sense, there are definitely signs of that here.

2. Dr. Roper, my English teacher, referred to a liberal arts education as a freeing experience. That it is intended to free you from the ideals that you grew up with. From that, two things happen. You either form a new way to look and deal with life or you come up with foundation of why you believe the things you always have. Him stating this helped me realize the time of struggles and growth I have experienced since my move to UD. Mrs. Legband once told me that I had great passions and desires to change things around me but that I had no substance to those passions. UD, I think, has helped start a foundation for my passions through the burning of a lot of chaff (which continues to this day and will continue in the future).

3. We just read Agamemnon by Aeschylus. The chorus mentions that suffering brings wisdom and that grace comes through violence. Suffering is a huge concept that Paul and Peter repeatedly exhort to their audiences, Gentile and Jews, while the grace given to us comes through the violent death of Christ on the Cross. I wonder if Paul and Peter and the Gospel writers used and focused on this terminology, especially to the Gentiles, because their audiences were accustomed to these ideas through these 4th and 5th century B.C. plays. I'm sure they were wiened on these works, especially the churches that Paul wrote too. Just a thought. I'm sure there is more to be hashed out but I've already written far to much.

More to come later, I'm sure. Sorry for the long windedness. Don't forget to check out my pictures if you want to.

-Justin