I settled into the local movie theater to see Gladiator II last night, surrounded by pungent stale popcorn and sweat. I’ve heard disappointment regarding this movie. Watchers were left wanting depth it never provided. It certainly lacked depth, but I found myself pondering this ancient empire that continues to fascinate, influence and compel humanity for the past 2,000+ years. Maybe Caesar is remembered today mostly as a salad dressing, but obviously that’s silly. The Caesars’ impact has reached into places and spaces they could only dream of — and dream they did. Rome fell and yet it still endures, doesn’t it?

We’re entering the second week of Advent, which traditionally comes with the word “peace.” (My intention here isn’t to convince you to believe in Jesus or go to Church. That’s not within my power. I simply desire you to think a little deeper about your own spirituality. We are spiritual beings and I believe we’re designed to connect with this part of ourselves. What God wants you to see is God’s business.)

Peace. What we all long to cultivate in our lives. That full breath. The open-handed surrender. Trust that all will be well, and all matter of things will be well. We long for peace on Earth and sing as much this time of year. We pray for peace in the Middle East while sending artillery in one hand and aid in the other — like an abuser who carefully dresses the wounds he caused

Peace. Like the Pax Romana: We’ll conquer you and kill your best and you’ll be so grateful for our rule! How did such “peace” come about? Let’s do a basic fly-over history lesson on the rise of Rome and the peace she offered.

Rome, as a republic, was perpetually at war, either in defense or to conquer. As its military might grew and the entire Italian Peninsula was taken for Rome, it defeated Carthage in 202 BCE and continued to expand and violently overthrow the known Mediterranean world. Writers of that time described the Roman Empire as having the boundaries of the Earth. Rome would make lists of the people they conquered and would erect monuments in those occupied cities.

Caesar Augustus ruled from modern-day Syria to Portugal at the time of Jesus’s birth. He was declared god incarnate on Earth, demanding prayers and sacrifices be made in his honor.

So who is Caesar Augustus? Born Octavian in 63 BCE, he was the nephew of Julius Caesar and was adopted as his son. Julius was assassinated in 44 BCE and Octavian began to rule at that point, becoming the first Emperor of Rome. Even though Rome was in continual battle with other nations and kingdoms, he made it his goal in those first years to avenge his father by creating a war at home between Caesar’s allies and those who assassinated Caesar.

Around this time, Octavian threw a party in honor of his father. During this celebration a comet was seen in the sky and Octavian said his cosmic hour had come. Witnesses came forward declaring they saw Julius ascend to the right hand of god (Zeus) making Julius a god. And if Julius was a god that would make Octavian the son of god. He inaugurated a celebration that lasted for 12 days every year and called this celebration the 12 days of advent to celebrate his birth.

In 31 BCE, Octavian defeated Marc Antony in the Battle of Actium and for the first time in 100 years Rome was not at war — there was peace throughout Rome. Octavian — renamed Augustus, meaning illustrious one, in 27 BCE — united all of Rome under himself. He took the name “Sebastos,” which means one who is worshiped or revered and inaugurated the Pax Romana. Peace through Rome. Caesar Augustus, the son of god, required all people to pay him homage by declaring “Caesar is lord.” The senate gave him the title Patar Patria, which means “Prince of Peace,” and the oracles said the kingdom of Augustus would usher in a new era of peace on Earth.

Roman priests, seen as divine mediators between people and Caesar, would alleviate past guilt through the burning of holy incense. Roman youth would create worship choruses about Caesar’s birth to be sung during advent. Caesar had coins minted with his image on them as a form of communication, showing the world who rules. If occupied by Rome, subjects were required to declare “Caesar is lord,” with threat of incarceration or violence should they rebel.

How does Rome amass such a reign? In most simplistic terms, through enormous and powerful military strength. And how would one amass this enormous military? Through paying a good wage. And how would one pay this military such a good wage? Through taxing the people. If you tax the people then you grow the military and then can grow the empire to get more people so you can keep taxing them. Depending on where people lived and how Rome was doing, the people could be taxed 80-90% of their income. These heavy taxations might demand people to sell their ancestral land — generational land passed on with deeply sacred meaning and value. Land, for the occupied Jews, promised and given by God, and now sold for tax to a hated empire.

And there was constant threat of military violence that kept these occupied peoples in line. Crucifixion was Rome’s torture of choice. The incarcerated would be beaten and tied to crosses in as many creative forms as possible until they suffered and died. They were placed in high-traffic areas so everyone would know the consequence of disrespecting Rome and Caesar.

This was Roman peace — as long as we’re not at war, we’re at peace. Peace defined by those on top. Peace for the wealthy and powerful. Peace for the few while the masses remain impoverished and the vulnerable remain afraid. And if Caesar wanted to know how big his empire was and how much money he could get from those he ruled, he would have to take a count.

Luke 2:1-5

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

The Christmas story isn’t about two lovebirds who had a baby in a barn in their hometown. This is about a people displaced and occupied. And in an oppressed corner of a backwater town of ethnic minorities, a baby was born. This story rebels against unjust power structures and resists oppressive tyranny. Sixty years after enforced proclamations that Caesar is lord, people began to radically whisper “Jesus is Lord.”

Those early Christians began co-oping familiar language to transform meaning. Caesar is lord, Jesus is Lord. The good news of Caesar’s birth and his military being called “euangelion” – “good news” — and the news of Jesus’s birth, and Jesus who preached release of the captives and food for the poo,r also being called “euangelion.” Where Caesar was called the “prince of peace” through military might and violent occupation, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace through blessing and loving his enemies.

Where the kingdom of Caesar looked like the sword — oppression, pride, power, and forced worship — the way of Jesus looked like setting people free, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, advocating for the marginalized, forgiving and blessing your enemies. Jesus talked about the kingdom of God being like yeast or leaven, where a small bit can cause a whole batch to change. It started small, and looked like nothing but a band of people refusing to align with the power and pride of Rome — to align with common life together, and to care for those on the margins. It’s the smallest bit of peace, that sacred breath, a clear recognition that you are already loved and whole and you belong to God and to each other, that bit of peace which shifts hearts and moves mountains. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me, the hymn goes.

So, may peace begin with you. Not through weapons and rulers or presidents and religions, but within your own body and with your own hands and words and ways of love. May peace begin with you this advent as you wait in the darkness for Light to arrive once again.

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Bethany Cseh is a pastor at Arcata United Methodist Church and Catalyst Church.