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One Person Can Change the World: The Story of St. Telemachus

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image I stood at the base of the Coliseum in Rome, Italy with a sense of sadness and awe. In the span of 500 years, it is estimated that 500,000 people and over 1 million wild animals were killed there – all in the name of entertainment.

One of the first questions I couldn’t help but asking myself while there was, “Why weren’t there more people who were outraged? Why didn’t the people demand that the killing stop?!”

Well, one man confronted this evil, demanded that the killing stop, and was martyred as a result. His name is St. Telemachus and here is his fascinating story:

In the early 400’s AD, a little monk named Telemachus from Asia (Turkey) felt led by an inner voice to go to Rome without knowing why. Following the crowds to the Coliseum, he witnessed two gladiators fighting. Stepping in between them, he cried out, “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

The crowds were so enraged someone was interfering with their entertainment they stoned Telemachus to death. When the crowd saw the little monk had died, they grew silent and left the stadium one by one.  When the emperor was informed of Telemachus’s death, he issued a decree to end the games.

Often we may see injustices happening in our world today and think, “What can I do? I am only one person and the injustice (or issue) is massive and systemic.” I am sure that there were many people who lived during the days of those games who knew that this continual killing was wrong but felt powerless to stop it.

Telemachus was not. He was gripped with a passion for truth, justice, peace, and righteousness that compelled him to speak and to act. He gave up his life, but as a result he saved thousands of people and animals who would have continued to be killed.

While we cannot all create a massive societal change in a matter of hours like Telemachus, we can all make a choice to follow his example.

1) Come humbly before God and ask for eyes to see the injustices and evil in our society. Sometimes, we may need to confess that we have become numb to certain evils that exist around us because we have become accustomed to them. I am sure that many citizens in Rome made excuses for their participation in the games.

2) Pray for passion and compassion towards those who are victims of such evil and ask that God would free you from any indifference or apathy in your heart.

3) Pray for a loving, thoughtful way to take action. Scripture says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21

St. Telemachus shows us that one person can make a difference. All that we think, say, and do will make an impact on those around us. Let’s choose to stand for what is right, even when it is not popular. 

Only God knows the influence and impact our words and actions will make.

photo credit: Zach Dischner 

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Secrets of the Eternally Optimistic

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The rain pounded down on our roof without stopping – again. Chesed, my three and a half year old girl, crawled up in my lap with a huge grin on her face.

As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, her expressive face showed her delight as she declared, “Mom, all this rain is going to be so good for our garden! The flowers are going to be so happy!”

It’s Summertime and all my girls are eager to spend every moment possible at our neighborhood pool – Chesed included. But she has a way of seeing the bright side of everything – even a rainstorm on a Summer day.

We all know people like Chesed – optimistic regardless of circumstance, unwavering in joy even when all odds are stacked against them. What is it about these people that keeps them smiling when they are slapped in the face? And what can the rest of us do to learn their ways?

Let me start by confessing that I am not by nature one of these people. I have a melancholy and choleric personality which just means that at my worst I’m overly serious and gloomy with a huge splash of “Type A” thrown in there. I know – you can pray for my family 🙂

So God knew what He was doing when he gave me an eternally joyful, lighthearted husband and daughter. Here’s a few things I’ve observed from these two that I try to imitate:

1) Joyful, optimistic people aren’t immune to sickness, failure, difficulty or trial. They just choose to focus on all the good things that are happening in their lives. If Chesed has 103 fever, well, she’s still giddy that she gets a Pedialyte popcicle…which brings me to #2.  

2) Joyful, optimistic people don’t overlook the smallest of blessings. Did it rain on their parade? Well, where are the flowers? Did they miss their plane? Well, who did they get to meet or chat with as a result?

3) Joyful, optimistic people are content with less. Our culture inundates us with ads which tell us that we need more than what we already have to be happy. Thus, we tend to overlook our blessings, hoarding what we already have and grasping for more, which only leads to sorrow.

4) Joyful, optimistic people tend to influence others positively and thus change their atmosphere. We’ve all heard the phrase, “She just lights up a room with her smile!” And it is true. The most darkened, depressed soul can come alive when they encounter a person full of genuine joy.

 There is yet another secret for us here: Those who are Christ’s  have access to even more joy than the most naturally happy and optimistic person on earth has without Him. But we must tap into Him – the source of our joy.

He has come “that you might have joy and have it to the full.” He has set you free from the bondages of sin and death. He has overcome the world. The God of the Universe promises that He will never leave or forsake you – for eternity. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

So lift up your eyes to Christ, meditate on your abundant spiritual and physical blessings, and then go light up a room!!!

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Three Great Reasons to Keep A Spiritual Journal

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I have been keeping a diary since I could write in full sentences. Even though it was a Hello Kitty one with a lock, I was certain it was the perfect place to document all of my deepest thoughts and dreams.

As I got older and began to have regular times of personal prayer and Bible study, journaling became my preferred outlet for writing down prayers, lessons I was learning, Scriptures that had ministered to me, and important events in my life. Over the years, I have accumulated several boxes of journals which I have dutifully lugged from house to house each time I’ve moved.

My husband, on the other hand, is more of an in-frequent journaler, but still makes it a habit to write down all the wonderful things God has done in his life in a yearly summary on his birthday. Whether you love or hate to write, there are some great reasons to take time periodically to reflect upon and document the works of God in your life.

1) We are Prone to Forget – I often have a hard time remembering what happened yesterday, much less last year. And it seems that this is a common human dilemma. Psalm 106 speaks of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and their prompt forgetfulness:

“He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert….But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for His counsel.” – Psalm 106:9, 13

It’s proven that when we write things down, we are more likely to remember them. We make a choice to remember lest we forget. It’s really that simple.

2) To Increase our Faith in God – In Psalm 77, the psalmist writes with despair about his current circumstances, wondering if “God has forgotten to be gracious?” or if “His steadfast love has forever ceased?”

He turns from despair to hope through remembering, “Then I said, I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” – Psalm 77:10-11

When we write down and remember how God has delivered and helped us in this past, we have faith that He will help us through our current difficulties as well.

3) For Generations to Come – Some day when I am gone (or maybe before, if they find them!) my girls will likely sit down on a rainy day with a pot of coffee and read over my journals. They may laugh or cry or both – and they will remember me. They will even be able to know me as a young girl – my thoughts, struggles, and prayers to God at 13, 16, or 19 years of age.

When we document what God has done in our life and share it with our children as well, we pass on a legacy of faith – a testimonial that remains alive through the decades of the active work of God in our lives.

So, how about investing in a journal, picking up a pen, and let your thoughts flow? Who knows whether 30, 60, or even 100 years from now, your grandchild will pick it up, read it, and say, “What God did for Grandma, He can do for me, too.”

 

 

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