The Gladiator's Day of Grace - A Christian Short Story

Maximus Vitruvius Messalla has learned about the unpredictability of life the hard way. Raised in aristocratic prominence and wealth, one moment Maximus is a decorated centurion in the Roman military, quickly rising in the ranks. The next, he is betrayed, charged with treason, and forced to be a gladiator in the Roman arena to earn his freedom.
Throughout the course of these events, Maximus comes to question all he has been taught to believe.
Lifted by his love for a freed slave, Maximus follows her to Capernaum where he learns of the gospel of Jesus Christ. After witnessing the healing of a fellow centurion's servant, Maximus's hunger for truth grows and his questions about the rabbi increase. He knows that if anyone can tell him more about the Messiah, the woman he loves can. On the shore of Galilee, she shares her testimony of the Messiah, and for Maximus, just being in her presence gives him a glimpse of heaven.
Over the course of a single day, he receives answers to questions that have haunted him for years. But when certain events come to light that reopen old wounds, he wonders if he will ever truly have peace.
The Gladiator's Day of Grace is the story of love, forgiveness, redemption, and one man's journey to discover the saving grace that is available to all of us.