With the house lacking furnishings, Gordian provided him with a thick camel’s hair blanket for a bed, and he slept deeply that night. In the morning he awoke confused, expecting to see his usual prison cell. Then the memory of the day before came back to him. He murmured, “Praise Christus, faithful in all things.”
After a few days rest and good food, Nicholas began to feel his strength return. Gordian said, “It is time I took you to the assembly.”
“Where is that?” asked Nicholas. “Surely none of the assembly halls remain.”
Gordian shook his head. “We meet at the graves of the confessors just south of the city.”
As they headed out from the house, Nicholas and Gordian could see a man leaning up against a wall down the way. He had the muscular build and clean-shaven face of a Roman soldier. As soon as they started out, the man began to follow them. Gordian remarked to Nicholas, “Always someone watching. They’ve been taking turns hanging about there for days, ever since...”
Nicholas finished his sentence, “I came? They’re probably from Silvanus.”
“What would he want of you?” asked Gordian.
“Gold,” said Nicholas. “That is why he held me these last seven years. He will not give up so easy.”
“But he must know you have nothing,” said Gordian. “We all have nothing.”
Nicholas responded with silence.
As they drew near the outskirts of Myra, Nicholas could see long lines of people heading south, all of them singing hymns of praise to Christus. As they passed along the streets, many people stepped outside their homes and shops to watch them. Many were the same people who just days ago sought the death of the Christiani. Now they could not help but smile at their songs of celebration. Nicholas noted many of the Christiani wore eye patches or were missing a hand or were limping. Nicholas asked, “Why so many blinded and maimed?”
Gordian said, “They could not keep up with killing us, so Galerius tried for a time using those penalties.”
On the slopes outside the city, Nicholas could see the drifter camp had grown considerably. Just beyond the city gate lay an open green field with no tents or shacks. Some large patches of the field looked recently dug. Only a waist-high stone stood by the road to mark the place. Someone had recently carved it with a symbol of the Christiani, the Greek letters Chi and Rho (XP) superimposed on each other. They were the first letters of the Greek word for Christus. Nicholas asked, “Where are the graves?”
“All around us,” said Gordian. “There were so many to bury, the authorities would merely dig great pits and bury them all together.”
Nicholas let out a sigh. So many had believed to the point of death. More than ever, he could see the value in their sacrifice. In death, they had entered into life—a life without end.
After a few days rest and good food, Nicholas began to feel his strength return. Gordian said, “It is time I took you to the assembly.”
“Where is that?” asked Nicholas. “Surely none of the assembly halls remain.”
Gordian shook his head. “We meet at the graves of the confessors just south of the city.”
As they headed out from the house, Nicholas and Gordian could see a man leaning up against a wall down the way. He had the muscular build and clean-shaven face of a Roman soldier. As soon as they started out, the man began to follow them. Gordian remarked to Nicholas, “Always someone watching. They’ve been taking turns hanging about there for days, ever since...”
Nicholas finished his sentence, “I came? They’re probably from Silvanus.”
“What would he want of you?” asked Gordian.
“Gold,” said Nicholas. “That is why he held me these last seven years. He will not give up so easy.”
“But he must know you have nothing,” said Gordian. “We all have nothing.”
Nicholas responded with silence.
As they drew near the outskirts of Myra, Nicholas could see long lines of people heading south, all of them singing hymns of praise to Christus. As they passed along the streets, many people stepped outside their homes and shops to watch them. Many were the same people who just days ago sought the death of the Christiani. Now they could not help but smile at their songs of celebration. Nicholas noted many of the Christiani wore eye patches or were missing a hand or were limping. Nicholas asked, “Why so many blinded and maimed?”
Gordian said, “They could not keep up with killing us, so Galerius tried for a time using those penalties.”
On the slopes outside the city, Nicholas could see the drifter camp had grown considerably. Just beyond the city gate lay an open green field with no tents or shacks. Some large patches of the field looked recently dug. Only a waist-high stone stood by the road to mark the place. Someone had recently carved it with a symbol of the Christiani, the Greek letters Chi and Rho (XP) superimposed on each other. They were the first letters of the Greek word for Christus. Nicholas asked, “Where are the graves?”
“All around us,” said Gordian. “There were so many to bury, the authorities would merely dig great pits and bury them all together.”
Nicholas let out a sigh. So many had believed to the point of death. More than ever, he could see the value in their sacrifice. In death, they had entered into life—a life without end.
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