Fight Even If You Stand Alone
During the late 16th century, Rome was at war with Clusium. This was due to Rome refusing to accept Tarquinius Superbus, the king of Clusium, as their king. One of the weakest and most important parts of Rome was its gate, named the Pons Subicilus. The keeper of this gate was a man named Horatius Cocles. Now, after the Romans denied Tarquin as their king, the Clusis attacked Rome, starting with the gate. Horatius and two other men saw their armies coming. They ran inside the gates and warned the Romans. A plan was devised: the Roman army would stand in front of the gate, warding off the Clusis, while the rest of the citizens took down the bridge that gave access to the city. They all ran out, ready to defend their freedom. The terrifying Clusis ran towards the hurried Romans. They got to action quickly, beginning to take down the bridge. The Roman army ran towards the Clusis, and slowly, they started to fall. But, one man powered through: Horatius. He bravely fought off the Clusi army as the citizens hurriedly tore down the bridge. Soon, Horatius was the only Roman soldier still standing. He continued bravely fighting off the Clusis, even though he was all by himself. Eventually, the citizens finished tearing down the bridge. Horatius ran inside the city gates just before they couldn’t be reached anymore. He collapsed on the ground, exhausted. But, the city had been saved! It would not have been possible without Horatius fighting off the army all by himself.
Horatius’ story is truly inspiring. He fought for his city even though he was all alone. His bravery is similar to the bravery of early Christians in the New Testament. Many Christians were persecuted, and even killed, just for admitting their loyalty to God! But, the Christians still stayed true to their faith. They believed that anyone could follow God, no matter their race or status. One of the biggest examples of this bravery was Paul. He spread the word all throughout Europe and Asia, making disciples and setting up churches. Paul writes in Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Paul states that he is proud of his belief in Christ, no matter what the consequences are.
We can take these examples of perseverance and bravery, and try to follow them in our Christian lives. We as followers of Christ should never be ashamed, but proud of our belief. We might not have to fight off entire armies by ourselves, or fear for our lives, because of our faith, but there are still challenges we need to overcome. Just like Paul and Horatius, we should never be ashamed of our faith and stand up for what is right.
