“Understanding history is understanding ourselves”(Grylls)2
When it comes to the daily tasks of life in the modern world, we tend to forget the meaning of what it means to be followers of Christ or to understand the very weight of it. A 2,000-year-old religion with billions of people who follow it started by a powerful Jewish wise man born of a virgin, in a manger. His message is told in parables that resonate through the ages, and so many people still apply it to their lives today. A religion that, at the center, is the Creator’s love for all of us. A love that surpasses all understanding and one that required the shedding of blood.
Looking back at how Christianity was formed and the culture of its earliest followers can really help us to understand why our faith matters. We, as Christians in the West, have it easy compared to the sufferings and boldness of our siblings of old, our people. How beautiful would it be if we keep their memory alive by telling their stories to draw inspiration and a deeper sense of fellowship? The documentary “The Mosaic Church” was one of those films that brought me back to that place of contemplation and remembrance of the sufferings and sacrifices our brothers and sisters made. It deepened my love for us.
Located in Megiddo, Israel, this film produced by those at Angel Studios is a documentary that covers the historical significance of what’s believed to be one of the earliest places of worship (AD 230). A main focal point of discovery in this film was a mosaic. With the use of advanced technology by the IAA (Israel Antiquities Authority), they were able to make 3D models of what this sacred space looked like with the mosaic. My eyes were glued to the screen, watching them remove the mosaic with delicacy and very gentle cleaning for it to be displayed for the whole world to see.
This mosaic echoed the prayers and fellowship of a people that were transitioning from a pagan society to a Christian one. This mosaic is a beautiful intertwining of Roman culture and Christianity. Some of the things that really stood out to me were how Christianity has, at times, caused major cultural shifts, especially in the role of women and the views on slaves(i.e. servants). Women in the Christian world had greater roles in comparison to the mainstream culture, which at many times simply saw women as objects and had bouts of femicide. With that challenge Christianity brought to that culture, it was also seen as a threat in certain time periods. Many of our siblings were slain and tortured for their faith, but still remained steadfast. Our faith outlived the intense persecution of that time and still does.
Some of the thoughts I had at the end of the film were in the form of questions. How did we go from a time period of a religion that was severely persecuted, but yet displayed the heart of Christ so strongly, to a religion that was used as a tool for persecution? Surely the latter was not of the Lord. This film, the history that’s covered, and this beautiful mosaic attests to that.
- James Emery from Douglasville, United States, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↩︎
- Grylls, Bear. The Mosaic Church. Directed by [Joel Edwards], Angel Studios, 28 Feb. 2025. ↩︎
Musings of a Gentile 
Leave a comment