Later, they ventured out to the cave where Stephanas said Christus was born. The area around it was shaded by several straight rows of trees. A statue of the god Adonis with a lyre in hand stood by the entrance of the cave. All was quiet but for the chirping of birds in the trees. Having no lamp or torch, all they could do was peer into the darkness. Nicholas could see some sprigs of withered flax and lettuce left on the ground as offerings to Adonis, but otherwise the cave looked like a plain, rough hole in the ground, not the place where the world was forever changed. But it was the place, or at least Stephanas said so. And it might as well be, thought Nicholas. Wherever the place was, it was common, forgettable, and yet what happened there could not be forgotten.
As they returned to Stephanas, the thought of how common the cave was made Nicholas feel as if Christus had been very close after all. Christus did remarkable things in forgettable places, and perhaps one day he would do remarkable things in whatever forgettable place Nicholas might find himself.
His uncle said nothing more to Nicholas about staying on until the day Stephanas led them back to Aelia to send them on their way. As they came in sight of the city, his uncle asked him, “Will you be going on, or turning back?”
“Going on,” said Nicholas.
His uncle said nothing. Nicholas could not tell whether he was angry or pleased behind that beard.
They bid Stephanas farewell, and after they had gone a ways down the road, Nicholas asked, “Are you disappointed?”
His uncle said, “You should not care so much for what I think as what the Lord thinks.”
“Yes uncle... And if I did care so much for what you thought, I would have asked you before we parted with Stephanas.”
His uncle cracked a grin and nodded. “You are certain, then?”
“Yes. Perhaps God has called him to a solitary life, but not me. You have said Rome is God’s kingdom as much as any other. I see no reason to leave it. I would live among men. Mine will not a be a life of retreat and quietness.”
As they returned to Stephanas, the thought of how common the cave was made Nicholas feel as if Christus had been very close after all. Christus did remarkable things in forgettable places, and perhaps one day he would do remarkable things in whatever forgettable place Nicholas might find himself.
His uncle said nothing more to Nicholas about staying on until the day Stephanas led them back to Aelia to send them on their way. As they came in sight of the city, his uncle asked him, “Will you be going on, or turning back?”
“Going on,” said Nicholas.
His uncle said nothing. Nicholas could not tell whether he was angry or pleased behind that beard.
They bid Stephanas farewell, and after they had gone a ways down the road, Nicholas asked, “Are you disappointed?”
His uncle said, “You should not care so much for what I think as what the Lord thinks.”
“Yes uncle... And if I did care so much for what you thought, I would have asked you before we parted with Stephanas.”
His uncle cracked a grin and nodded. “You are certain, then?”
“Yes. Perhaps God has called him to a solitary life, but not me. You have said Rome is God’s kingdom as much as any other. I see no reason to leave it. I would live among men. Mine will not a be a life of retreat and quietness.”
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