Written by Dynamis Ministries | November 30, 2023
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? This is not a random question; it’s been the subject of a recent TikTok trend that has created over 1.2 billion views! The Romans have received a lot of traction these days so it may be good to freshen up on this dynasty. Over two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire ruled the world. Its kingdom spread from Europe to Africa to Asia. It had the greatest leaders, thinkers and builders who created a sophisticated legal system, advanced military tactics, new engineering approaches, architectural and construction techniques that built roads, aqueducts, sewers, and buildings, many of which you can still visit today. The Roman Empire was a force the world had never experienced in its history.
Interestingly, at the same time as all of this was happening, a lowly carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth, was recruiting a ragtag team of uneducated disciples to launch his own kingdom, one that would introduce a completely new kind of kingdom, a kingdom of revolutionary ideas such as loving your enemy, caring for the needy, serving others and being driven by compassion. Jesus’ ministry only lasted three short years on earth, and when he died his team of disciples who were entrusted to carry on his teaching were hiding in terror.
Fast forward to today – the Roman Empire has crumbled, and the Jesus Movement, known as Christianity, is not only still around, but it is thriving, spreading across “every tribe and nation.” It has continuously comprised of about one-third of the world’s population since it began. How is it that Jesus’ ministry, which barely caught any traction while he was living, managed to spread in a world being dominated by the most powerful empire of its time? And what is more, it has persevered throughout history while the once strong and mighty Romans collapsed. There may not be a singular answer to this question, but one answer that cannot be overlooked is generosity. That’s right, generosity is one distinguishing practice that fueled the spread of the Good News of Jesus. At Dynamis we define generosity this way:
generosity noun
gen-er-os-it-y
-the act of demonstrating God’s love in a way that gives him glory and blesses another
This is precisely what Jesus’ early followers began doing, and what was built as a result is nothing short of amazing. There were some people who received the message of Jesus to take care of the sick, and in their loving devotion to God and desire to bless others created hospitals as a place to tenderly care for the sick. Others who became Christ followers were convicted by Jesus’ compassion for children and in their loving response created schools and orphanages. In fact, many of the humanitarian and human services institutions that are integrated in our society today are rooted by people who simply wanted to “demonstrate God’s love in a way that gives him glory and blesses another.”
This same generosity is what continues to spread the Good News of Jesus and builds his kingdom today. We are all invited to participate in the greatest generosity movement of all time, one that has even outlasted the Roman Empire, when we bless others as a way to demonstrate God’s love. God’s kingdom can be built in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces or any other spaces we occupy. Through our generosity we can be active participants in one of the most unlikely kingdoms the world has ever seen!
