"The ultimate witness is withness." That's a great quote I read the other day. Even though I read it around two in the morning because I couldn't sleep, it's something I've been reflecting on since.
Most historians don't blame the fall of the Roman Empire on plagues. But in the second and third centuries, the empire suffered greatly as the result of, at least, two to three. The plagues decimated the Roman population and exposed some of its weaknesses. It's estimated the Antonine plague, the first epidemic recorded in history, killed up to 10 million people. That would represent a third of the population.
The emperor blamed Christians for the plague. Their unwillingness to offer sacrifices angered the gods, he argued. History, though, shows something else about the Christians. Those Romans who could flee the devastation did. Consequently, many people were left to die. But Christians stayed. They helped. They did not abandon those who were sick or dying. And they didn't just take care of other Christians. Their pagan neighbors benefitted from their withness.
Dionysius of Alexandria wrote of this time: "Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another." 
Whether this or any other plague caused the empire's downfall is left to debate. Many church historians argue this is about the time the church grew in popularity. Could it be that God used our withness to spread the good news of Jesus? I believe so.
That makes it important, then, to consider who the "abandoned" are among us today. What is the church's witness to them? Are we content with platitudes or are we seeking to be with those in need? There are ways we can stay with people today: visit with them in their hospital rooms or their prisons, sit with them in their grief, speak with them about their struggles.
The gospel spread not because Christians achieved power. But because they stayed present with those in need. So, like it's said, our ultimate witness is always our withness.Stay blessed...john | 
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