POMPEII
The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. – Isaiah 40:4
Pompeii, one of the places my parents and I visited during our European tour many years ago, stands out in my memory.
Pompeii is a city near Naples in Italy that was completely destroyed and buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 76 A.D. It’s much like the towns of Pampanga that were buried in lahar when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, but in the case of Pompeii, it gave us a glimpse of the life of a city during the Roman Empire. The forum, the Roman baths, the houses and villas, even the crude paintings on the walls, were preserved. The hoof marks of chariots on the pavements were still visible.
Excavations revealed that the people were caught unaware by the eruption. Many were eating or sleeping. Every little detail of their lives was frozen in time for future generations to see.
The sight brought home to me two big truths: that nature runs its own course and that death comes to us in the most unexpected ways and time. But there’s a bigger truth that we should always remember: The Son of Man will come to judge the good from the bad.
Are you ready for His coming?Tess V. Atienza (svp_tvatienza@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
Are you preparing for the inevitable in life?
Lord, grant me a heart that is always ready to embrace the unexpected.
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