The Gladiator's arena...and mine

Thunderous roars and earth shaking stomps in the stands of the arena, along with the stench of sweat and blood fill the air as the crowd chants “Live. Live. Live. Live.” Shaking their fists high in the air toward the center of the arena where the gladiator stands, awaiting the command of the Emperor. Thumbs up, his fallen opponent is to survive. Thumbs down, he is to dispatch his opponent to the other world. The gladiator has become loved by the people for his numerous victories, and stands yet undefeated, gaining fame and adoration of the entire population of Rome. In the end, the Emperor has the final say, but it is not his word that stands remembered it is the slave of Rome standing in the sand below, a slave who has gained power higher than anyone in his time: the power of the people. After years and seemingly endless battles and countless victories the gladiator is granted retirement and freedom by the Emperor, given gold enough to keep him for the rest of his life, and he leaves the arena forever….and is eventually forgotten as a new star shines on Rome’s bloody sands.
Pondering the stressful, strenuous, and somewhat monotonous life of the gladiator, who lives only to survive, driven by the shouts and adoration of his fans, and struggling through battle after battle in the name of the Emperor, winning only to fight yet another battle, I realized that he is not much different than I. No, I do not live in 70A.D. Rome. I am not clad in armor, wielding a sword, and bellowing a war cry that rivals the shouts and cheers of thousands of people standing over me. Contrasting as it may seem at first glance, our lives are quite comparable to the scene of the gladiator built in our mind’s eye.
Daily struggles for some; school, work, kids, house, money (or lack thereof), and other issues dealt with create a sort of monotonous routine for us. As the gladiator rises to train and eat, eat and train, we rise to do the same things, day after day, until it seems there is no end. The gladiator enters the arena to battle an opponent, and we enter an arena in our lives, prepared to battle for what we believe is right, our faith, health, love, trust, and honor. With every victory we gain testimony that for some people raise us up in their eyes. We become an example to follow, just as the gladiator becomes the role model for young soldier’s sons, using his techniques in their training to be better fighters for Rome. The longer we fight, the more victories we achieve, the closer we come to ultimate freedom. Yet the self-proclaimed god of this world, our Emperor, sends us under the arena, in the cages, to set us up for the next battle, for his entertainment…placing bets on whether or not we will win the next one and survive.
Today we do not wield swords and spears, but we battle with different weapons. We have a Will to keep moving on, Determination to overcome our struggles, Strength to stand even when we are weak, and Help that comes not from our own hands, but the Hands that fashioned us to run this race and battle in this arena called Life. Will we be forgotten when our final Freedom has been granted us, and we are released from this life to the next? Will my name, or yours, fade from the pillars and monuments in the minds of men? What have we done in our time in this arena to leave a lasting impression, made our mark in time for others to remember? Was it good? Will it make a difference for others? Those who were remembered in the Roman arena changed the way others fought, the way they defended themselves and others, and most of all, changed hearts and minds to achieve equality and excel to greater heights and finally freedom, not only physical, but freedom of spirit and mind.
Let us fight our fight, run the race, and most of all obtain victory after victory, to achieve the highest liberty of all…the freedom from this arena to a peaceful eternity in the home of our Maker. May we become an influence for others for good, and not evil, be an example to follow, as we have an audience standing over us every day, either cheering us on or waiting to see us fall. Carry ourselves with Grace and Dignity, through every trial and every test of our strength, making a difference not only for ourselves but for those who will surely model themselves after us. The memory of the gladiator has faded, but not his battles and his final and greatest victory. Yes, we, as people, will eventually be forgotten, but through those whom we mentor, set an example for, and through our words and deeds as well we will live on.