Friday, June 27, 2014

One Colossal Stadium



Bryant-Denny Stadium at the U of AL is an impressive structure, currently holding over 101,000 screaming fans.  But the Colosseo (Coliseum in Rome, IT), is even more impressive.  The structure is enormous.  It is impressive in size, in features, in complexity.  What I found most impressive is that it was completed in only 10 years (AD 70-80).




In this last picture you can see the area under the floor of the Colosseo.  Prior to the addition of this intricate net work of access hallways, equipment and animal storage, and gladiator preparation, the stadium could be flooded to reenact naval battles.

The Colosseo was remarkably like Bryant-Denny.  It had premium seats, middle-price and plebian sections.

It was easy for me to get caught up in the wonder of the engineering.  For Brenda, it was hard to forget what went on there.  In this very spot, slaves, Christians, and gladiators met their demise.  What made it worse was that this cruelty was done strictly for entertainment.  I am guessing that thousands of lives were sacrificed just as a diversion from everyday life.  Most likely many of the spectators got some pleasure simply from the fact that they didn't have to participate in the deadly show.

By the same token, it is easy for us Christians to forget the thousands dying before our eyes.  Everyone who is born again, dies only once, but so many of our friends have only been born once, and thus die the first and then the second death.

People are dying all around, and yet we, and me, mostly focus on our own entertainment.

Now that's not so impressive, is it?

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