The Ides of March

The Ides of March became famous as the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, a date that became cemented in history as a result of the play by William Shakespeare: 

  CAESAR
      Who is it in the press that calls on me?
      I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
      Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.

  Soothsayer
    Beware the ides of March.

  CAESAR
    What man is that?

  BRUTUS
    A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

  CAESAR
    Set him before me; let me see his face.

  CASSIUS
    Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

  CAESAR
    What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.

  Soothsayer
    Beware the ides of March.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Vincenzo Camuccini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fast forward 2019 years.

The Ides of March, 1975

It was Saturday, and on that evening, as I had most Saturdays for the previous two months, I was with a bunch of young people in the Fellowship Hall of the Baptist Church of Cheshire. As per usual, there was a time of singing, after which someone would share a devotional (though I would not have known or used that term in that point of my life) and afterwards would be some kind of activity followed by a trip to Napoli's Pizza in Wallingford—the latter two things being the main reasons I was there.

The person who gave the devotional that evening was a young man by the name of Ed Kenerson. Ed had been around these Saturday evening get-togethers in its early years, and he had returned to share that evening. At one point, he asked if anyone would like to receive Jesus into their lives. I did not totally understand what that meant, only that we often recited a verse about it in one of the songs we would sing:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12)

I raised my hand. I thought it was a relatively minor thing. In my mind I thought to myself, "it's time to stop running from God." I did not know how the trajectory of my life was about to make a major change, like pointing a canon in a totally different direction than what it had been pointing to previously.

That was 50 years ago today. It's easy for me to remember because we had been reading Julius Caesar in English class, and so the phrase "Ides of March" was stuck in my brain.

As for some of the ways that decision affected my life, I wrote more about that here.

I don't regret that decision to follow Jesus. There was a time I thought about turning back, which I mentioned in another blog. There are times I get fed up with churches, but not The Church. Sometimes, the way other Christians behave makes me think, "If that is what being a Christian is about, then I don't want to be one." But I never made a decision to follow other people, I made a decision to follow Jesus. It's His life we are to emulate, not the lives of others. Over the course of the last half-century, people have often failed me. Jesus has not.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 - ESV)

Through all the good times and hard times of the last 50 years, Jesus has brought consistency to my life. His light—His presence—brings me peace even in times of inquietude. And I especially need that these days, when so many people seem to seek after false messiahs.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 - ESV)

God, give me grace and strength and wisdom to stay the course, until such time that you call me to be with You.