Marcus: The Centurion's Journey to Faith - Episode #4

Journal Entry - Monday, August 24, 26 A.D.

Journal Entry - Marcus the Centurion
Date: Monday, August 24, 26 A.D. (Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Agrippa, 778 Ab urbe condita)

I find myself sitting in my family’s home today, surrounded by the familiar comforts of life in Rome. The smell of bread baking in the hearth, the gentle murmur of conversation from my brothers, the warmth of my mother’s smile as she moves about the house—it’s a far cry from the dust and tension of Judea. And yet, even here, where everything should feel right, I feel the weight of something pressing down on me. It’s as if a part of me is still out there, on the edge of something I can’t fully understand.

It’s strange being home. After months away, returning to the place I grew up should bring a sense of relief, of comfort. But all I can think about is how much has changed. Or maybe it’s how much I’ve changed. This home, these people—they are the same as they’ve always been. My brothers are as loud and boisterous as ever, competing with each other in their usual way. My mother, ever the peacemaker, hums quietly to herself, the same tune I’ve heard since I was a child. And my father, though he’s not here in the flesh anymore, is present in every corner of this house, in every lesson he taught us.

But I’m not the same.