Reflections of Rome and Easter

It has been about two weeks since I arrived home from my spring break trip to Italy. The first couple of days there I wrote from Pompeii, but haven't been able to get anything on paper about Rome. Rome is a tough city to define. It is both ancient and new...and full of love. It's like Paris, except better. I can say that Rome is the most legitimate city I've ever been to. I heard a lot of hype from others that had been, and I'm happy to say that it lived up to that hype. The culture there is unique, but very friendly and inviting. The saying still stands, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

When I returned to the "real world," I became very busy with school work, but I feel like I've been thinking about a lot of stuff despite being worn out. With my travels I have seen a lot of amazing things. From the Alps, volcanoes, amazing artwork, cathedrals/chapels, soccer games, and ancient artifacts. I've concluded that I am a pretty lucky guy to have seen the things I have. So even though I have been able check many things off my unfinished bucket list, I have found that it hasn't been the places I've been, but the people that I have shared the experiences with that has made all the difference.

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
-Matthew 16:26

This past Easter weekend I got to spend a lot of time with people that have been such a blessing in my life. Over the past two weeks I have had a couple conversations with friends about sin. Which is a topic that I have researched and prayed about quite a bit in the last year. I am always thankful to have those conversations, because it is always good to know that people are going through the same stuff that I am. It is kinda obvious, but it is always good know that other people are human too. In church on Easter Sunday morning, the pastor of my home church in Cynthiana, Kentucky read a verse that has changed by outlook on sin entirely.

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
-Romans 6:17-18

More than anything, I think this verse brings hope and trust. Which are the blessed emotions that sin seems to crush in us humans. Knowing that through Christ, his followers are called to be a slave to something greater than ourselves changes everything, and saves us.