The silence in the prison was suddenly broken by the voices of Gregory and Romy as they walked toward my post. As I turned, I could tell Gregory was upset with Romy. Gregory's age was showing this evening as he limped a little on his left leg. He was waving his hands in the air at Romy. Watching the two of them made me smile as I remembered the many disagreements Romy and I have had over the years.
"Would you two mind keeping your voices down?" I asked.
"Why, are you meditating or something?" Gregory asked.
"No, but a few minutes of silence really felt good for a change," I replied.
"Michael," Romy started, "I am having a difficult time describing some of things we have learned to Gregory. Do you think you could help?"
"Me? I am not sure if I believe everything I've heard lately, myself," I replied.
"I don't care if you believe them or not, I just need help telling them the way we heard them. Could you help?" Romy retorted.
"All right, I'll try. What is it you want to know?" I asked.
"Onesiphorus was telling me about this group who call themselves 'The Way'. He said they now have a new name," Romy said.
"They?" I asked, "I thought surely you were a believer as well."
"I'm really not sure what it is to be a believer, Michael. I only know my life has been tremendously affected by something. I cannot say for sure what it is, but I like it. It makes me feel as if I have a purpose beyond that of the Roman Empire," Romy explained.
"Interesting," I said, "If you have been changed, what is it that changed you?"
"This afternoon I was talking to our prisoner when he asked me about eternity, and what I knew about it. I tried to describe our training as soldiers, and the kind of future it would hold in the Empire, but I don't think I was very successful. He wasn't impressed. He only pressed me to think about eternity," Romy said.
"There's more to life than the Roman Empire!" Gregory argued.
"Yeah? Well I don't know about much else. I'm still a young man, you know, and I've got a lot to learn," he paused for a moment, and then pointed his thumb back to the cell as he continued, "That man back there has made me do some serious thinking about the future. Do you know he believes in life after death?"
His question stopped the conversation for some time. I looked at Romy, and then at Gregory, who was rolling his eyes in disbelief. It seemed like I had heard something about this subject before, but with everything that has happened lately, it was hard to distinguish one thought from another.
"Where is Onesiphorus?" I asked.
Romy seemed surprised by the question.
