Buongiorno! Welcome to the Colosseum
Please scan your ticket to enter the museum
Walk through what in reality is a mausoleum
Innocents killed as a form of entertainment
Christians in Rome: there was an estrangement
Emperor Nero had a mental derangement
Although this leader was extremely odd
He believed himself to be the son of God
Making sure all citizens gave him the nod
If you worship the emperor, there will be peace
In this context a baby was born in the Middle East
An immaculate conception; who lived among the least
From the beginning he lived a life that was humble
But his teachings often caused the religious to stumble
How could this be our mighty king!? They’d mumble
No chariots, nor prestige, nor money nor might
He had no intentions to charge Rome with a fight
His one desire was for people to come into the light
He would walk through the places like Samaria
The most socially forbidden of areas
Woman at the well there spread good hysteria
God came as a human to meet people where they’re at
A blind man asked for healing, in the mud he spat
Healed a paralytic by saying pick up your mat
Jesus formed a following in early AD
Eventually he was killed on a cross from a tree
But then he rose from the dead on day three
He foretold of this event, yet his disciples didn’t believe
Came back to visit and found them in grieve
Stayed for 40 days, and then had to leave
But He promised them a helper that would stay
In an upper room the Holy Spirit came down one day
And therefore we celebrate Pentecost in May
From this point the church began to multiply
Not from human strength, but the guy in the sky
But not after long, the first martyr died
Persecution came and spread Christians apart
Paul was actually the one to enact it at the start
But on the road to Damascus, he had a change of heart
Paul was a Roman citizen, which meant he could freely travel
He grew up a strict Jew, but meeting Jesus made him unravel
He preached the good news, yet some people threw gravel
In Rome, “good news” told of a new Caesar’s plans
Promising peace and prosperity all throughout the land
As long as you rightfully worshipped this man
But the good news of Jesus, is that HE is the one
Who’s king of all kings, yet died in love for everyone
So people can freely come to God as a son
Paul and many others went around to preach this gospel
With God on your side, all things are made possible
Some received it with gladness, others were hostile
Paul ended up in prison under Roman authority
Persecution became the norm for the Christian minority
His visitors began to dwindle, despite his seniority
“Keeping the peace” in Rome meant worshiping Nero
But Christians refused to declare him as hero
The rest of society began to think they were weirdos
A fire was started in Rome as a sadistic act of fun
Who to blame? None other than the weird ones
Mass murder took off, not even using guns
In this very colosseum, humans were hunted
People were watching, but no one confronted
They may have thought Jesus’ power was stunted
But there is power in His resurrection
Death doesn’t have the same inflection
God is the one who offers us protection
The great Roman empire eventually fell
No longer able to hide behind a beautiful shell
The inevitable fate of those who rebel
But the kingdom of God is one of redemption
Jesus died on the cross as an act of preemption
No matter the past, He loves without exception
He’s the only one who can bring beauty from ashes
Unlike the one who wants weeping and gnashes
Even though innocent, He took thirty-nine lashes
Forgive them for they know not what they do
His love is a free gift for me and you
The invitation is there, but we have to choose
Arrivederci, and thank you for visiting Rome
The innocents killed have a voice with a moan
Rome had its glory, but is not your true eternal home
Unfortunately this is not something that only happened in the past. Christians today are still persecuted, attacked and killed around the world for holding fast to their faith in Jesus. In Western cultures it is often an unfamiliar concept, but in many parts of the world being a Christian is essentially a death sentence from a political standpoint. But we have much to learn and to hear from these people about the truth of who Jesus is. I admit it’s not comfortable or easy to even hear their stories, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening or not true. We are called to be united as one body, and that includes standing together with these persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ who may not have a loud voice, but they are not alone.
I created this T-shirt fundraiser as a small, practical way to stand together to support those on the ground being persecuted for their faith. The proceeds from the T-shirt sales will go to the I Am N ministry which stands to support those in northern Iraq, Syria and NIgeria who are often faced with the choice to convert to Islam, leave or die. The funds go to provide medical care for those who have received brutal assaults, temporary shelter for those who have fled from their homes, food, clothing, blankets, clean drinking water, and other needs. The shirts are available until September 15!
Candor Collective 
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