Under the Surface of History

Christopher Dawson, in Religion and the Rise of Western Culture, highlights for us how the Apostle Paul's experience in Europe and Asia effected such a subterranean change that the world hardly saw it coming:

When St. Paul...came to Philippi in Macedonia, he did more to change the course of history than the great battle that had decided the fate of the Roman Empire on the same spot nearly a century earlier, for he brought to Europe the seed of a new life which was ultimately destined to create a new world. All this took place underneath the surface of history, so that it was unrecognized by the leaders of contemporary culture....a new principle had been introduced into the static civilization of the Roman world that contained infinite possibilities of change. (p. 27; emphasis mine)

The story of church history is almost inextricably bound to the story of world history. The difference is that what we consider "world history" - the rise and fall of empires, conquests and wars, peace treaties and negotiations - took place on the surface level. Yet just as Dawson notes that the seed of the Gospel planted by Paul in Europe would change the world, so too throughout history "the rest of the story" is what God was doing - "underneath the surface of history".

Consider some examples:

• In 410 A.D., Rome fell, due to internal and external factors that have been debated for centuries. The barbarians at the gates were desperate and could no longer be held back. A "successful" change from nomadic life to settled agriculture resulted in a population explosion. Their land was insufficient to feed their large contingents, and so out of desperation, they eyed the weakening borders of Rome. For the West, the "dark ages" soon ensued...yet for the barbarians, this was an age of enlightenment. They were suddenly exposed to those aspects of civilization Rome did best - political systems, literature, religion. From their exposure to Christianity more than a few barbarians were converted - in fact, "the Christianization of the Goths" provides a study unto itself! Under the surface of history, the invaders were exposed to the Gospel and transformed.

• When Rome fell, Ireland was just beginning to experience literacy and "civilization". Yet a growing Celtic church there developed a monastic movement that would become highly significant in the course of history. These monks, according to Thomas Cahill, "saved civilization" by copying everything of western literature they could lay their hands on. These Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian writings were then transmitted throughout the tribes of Europe and, when the Dark Ages were over, contributed significantly to the world as we know it today. Under the surface of history, God was preserving early Christian writings and Scripture, alongside literary works that shed much light on the context in which Christianity was formed.

• As the western part of the Roman Empire was ransacked and the eastern part continued to exist and gain more prominence for a time, the church in Asia was establishing itself as outside the Roman church hierarchy. For a significant period of time, it was the eastern church that sent out missionaries to the rest of the known world. Portions of the eastern church, including the Armenian church and the Nestorian church, continue down to this day. Under the surface of history, God was continuing His kingdom advance despite the turmoil of the western church.

One benefit of studying history from a Godward perspective is that it gives us a better grasp of our own times. The spiritual warfare and extensive prayers of the church behind the Iron Curtain is as much a part of the story of the stunningly fast fall of Communism, as are the political figures of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbechav. Similarly, we are wise to look below the surface in our own country's political scene. Under the surface of history - God is up to something!