Marcus: The Centurion's Journey to Faith - Episode #9

Journal Entry-Monday, October 5, 26 A.D.

Journal Entry - Marcus Aelius Vitalis
Date: Monday, October 5, 26 A.D. (Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Agrippa, 778 Ab urbe condita)

Something unexpected happened today. It was well past noon, the sun at its highest point, and I was walking the streets of Jerusalem, observing the marketplace. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for me to keep an eye on things personally—after all, unrest is like a brushfire, and it can start anywhere. I’ve learned to read the mood of the people from the way they move, the way they barter. But today, I stumbled upon something more than just a flicker of tension. I stumbled upon an opportunity.

I was passing by a row of stalls, the smell of baked bread and dried fish filling the air, when I saw a boy—no, a young man, perhaps 19 years old—slinking through the crowd. His movements were quick, almost too quick, and it didn’t take long to spot what he was doing. His hands darted out, snatching a loaf of bread from one of the vendor’s tables. It was a small, barely noticeable gesture, but my eyes caught it. I’ve seen that kind of desperation before.