As I have mentioned previously (here) we have begun a study in our group called ‘Exilio’, which combines a study of a Book called Exiles by Michael Frost with a study of the book of Acts.

The whole thing is intended as a way to consider the nature of the life of faith in this post- modern/Christendom/enlightenment western world that we live in.

One of the exercises given to us has been to read parts of Acts in a public place.  This places the stories of the first followers of Jesus firmly in our own context in a quite powerful way. The stories of these Christian communities forming and storming, living and loving in their own imperfect imitation of the Jesus way…

It set me thinking… what happened next?

We know a little- through surviving fragments of history. We know that the stories of Jesus spread like wildfire through the Empire of the Romans. We know that to be a Christian was often to be considered a dangerous subversive, and to be subject to state censure and persecution. Far from eradicating this plague of proselytisers we know too that the very capital of the Empire became the hub of an underground network.

And in some cases, this network was literally underground! Christians from the 2nd Century until the adoption of Christianity as a state religion in 380, made miles of tunnels in the soft Volcanic rock below the city of Rome- where they were thought to meet in secret, and to make shrines to dead martyrs.

Here are some of the symbols left like boy-scout patterns for others to follow;

What was it like to live in those times? What did Jesus mean to these people that he would become the centre of their lives- at risk of everything?

How much of our their world view, their understanding of God, or their doctrine would we recognise today?

But how much could we learn from them?

Here are some more of the marks they left- Adam and Eve, and Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

What marks will our generation of Christians leave behind?