Let’s check in with the calendar – yup – its the 10th Wednesday after Pentecost. It’s so easy to loose track of the simple things – yes?

Anyway today is the commemoration of Anicetus the Martyr. Anicetus, ike Euplus who we commemorated yesterday, openly “presented himself” to the authorities boldly declaring that all those who worship idols are stupid. For his troubles – Anicetus was beaten senseless with rods, imprisioned for three years, and finally tossed into a furnace, along with his nephew Photios. Although they both died – their bodies were left un-touched by the flames.

What intrigues me about this story (and a number of recent commemorations are not unrelated in this) is the act of antagonism the martyr undertook to bring himself to the attention of the oppressing power; Anecitus antagonised the Pagan authorities, and died because of it.

Three brief thoughts come to my mind here.

Firstly it is worth pointing out that recent scholarship suggests that the persecution of the early church was more sporadic, and not as consistently applied as was once thought. The Roman authorities generally had a hands off approach and only acted when they were either antagonised, or ordered to by those higher up in the chain of command. Usually they did the bare minimum to keep out of trouble – thus the plethora of Confessors in the early church (people imprisoned, exiled or abused for the faith but who were not killed), and the common practice of handing over the books and sacred vessels of the church (more often than not the local official would accept any books, rather than the Scriptures – so a book on Geometry would do just as well thanks). Thus it is likely that in at least some of our commemorations, the narrative is great, inspiring, and instructive, but heavily “embelished”. That is not to say that Anicetus and Photios, and Euplus, and others like them were not real saints – rather it is merely suggesting that their real holiness was not so exciting.

Secondly lets stop for a moment and think about this idea of “antagonising” the locals. It makes me think of door to door evangelists who always come at the wrong time, shoving a pamphlet in your hands, reciting obscure passages of Revalations, and telling you you’re on your way to a firey end (well they don’t come to our house anymore I terrify them by feeding them and being nice to them). If some brazen nutter bursts into your atrium calling you stupid for offering incense to Mars, Apollo and your family ancestors – it would not be unreasonable of you to be rather put out over it all! So here’s the question – is it right, is it constructive, for Christians to stand on the street corner and “proclaim the Word”?

Finally, on a more positive note, it is worth mentioning the “instructive” nature of these narratives. Anecetus makes himself known, he comes out from among the masses and boldly declares: “I’m a Christian!” Boldness in self identity is I think a good thing – so long as that boldness gives shape to a praxis that best represents the ideals of the faith. Declaring my Christianity, or my adherence to the OC/IC tradition is fine but people have to be able to “see” what that means through my actions (my faithfulness to the teachings of the Gospel, the Fathers, and the founding ideals of the OC/IC movement), otherwise its little more than an exercise in attention seeking.