One thing about Rome that always intrigues me is how very old it is. These pillars have been standing here for two thousand years. So much has come and gone in that time, so many great things and so many truly horrible ones as well. The rest of the building that this was once a part of has long since crumbled, but these pillars endure.
Will anything I say or do in my life endure so long?
Doubtfully. Yes, I will endure in another way, but not in this way, still here in this world, still palpable. What I do today connects with what others have done in ancient times, working together to make the world better, to bring creation in line with God's plan. That is a connection to the past, but not one that I really think about much.
What I do today matters today, and that is all I really need.