Friends and Heroes

Macky rescues a snobbish, aristocratic Roman girl, Portia, from her runaway horse and she is so fascinated with Macky and the whole world of Alexandria’s Delta Quarter ghetto, that she returns and hires Diana to make a dress for her - at the Governor’s palace! Rebecca is horrified that a Roman should enter their lives and uses the story of how Delilah led Samson astray to warn against being corrupted by foreign ways. But Macky senses there is more to Portia than they have seen so far. Diana teaches the youngsters the value of tolerance through the story of Peter’s friendship with Cornelius, the Roman Centurion - and with help from their new Roman friend Portia, the gang thwart an extortion scheme run by Tobias and his sergeant, Brutacus.

A giant warship docks in Alexandria harbour and Macky learns from Portia that the ship’s mission is to attack the rebels resisting the Romans in Galilee. Macky inspires his neighbour, the young genius Sollie, with the story of David and Goliath. Sollie comes up with a plan to sink the ship. When Macky and Samuel are captured and imprisoned on the doomed ship, the story of how God released Peter from prison encourages them never to give up hope. As a result of the heroic destruction of the ship, its Roman architect decides to stay away from objects of war.

Macky and the family take a risk and give shelter to two men they think are fugitive rebels, brothers Caleb and Aaron. The story of Rahab teaches the family, and Portia, about caring for strangers. Aaron is very sick, and to nurse him Diana needs to cool his raging fever. Disguised as musicians, Macky and Samuel venture into the Governor’s palace to bring back ice from a lavish Roman banquet. When the sickness looks serious, the story of how Peter raised Tabitha back to life encourages Caleb never to give up hope for his brother. We’re left in suspense at the end of the Episode when it’s discovered that Caleb and Aaron are actually dangerous criminals.

Caleb and Aaron are trying to escape Alexandria. Meanwhile, after intelligence reports of refugee rebels entering the city by sea, Tiberius orders the famous lighthouse extinguished, threatening the lives of many innocent fishermen too. Macky is inspired by the story of Gideon not to feel defeated by the might of the Romans. Portia, Diana and the girls make a desperate, dizzying descent from the top of the lighthouse as they take a stand against Aaron. Together they must find a way to re-illuminate the dangerous shore. Samuel’s telling of the well-known Christmas Story - where the Good News was first told to lowly shepherds - turns Caleb and Aaron from criminals into heroes.

Macky and the gang want to rescue some slaves who are forced to work, shackled, in the Roman granary, but their friends and neighbours are worried about the repercussions. Sollie’s mother, Miriam, challenges them by telling the story of Moses beating the Egyptian slave master, and Macky soon finds he has enough support to help the slaves. Once rescued, the slaves must be hidden from the Romans, and Marx Brothers-style havoc ensues as Diana - theatrical wardrobe mistress - hides them right under the Romans’ noses at the theatre. The story of how Paul was changed on the Damascus Road gives Macky hope that even the Romans might one day change - and slavery will disappear.

Portia is still trying to make friends with all of Macky’s family and Diana learns from the story of Ruth and Naomi how to reach out to others - even outsiders like Portia. Little Leah gets lost in the chaotic back streets of the city and is tricked by a devious Roman called Lydia, (actually Portia’s palace tutor), who leads her to enslavement in a sweatshop run by Tobias. Macky uses the story of the Good Samaritan to remind Samuel that Portia, though a Roman, can help, and soon with additional help from Pontius the parrot they find and rescue Leah, ruining Tobias’s lucrative sweatshop in the process. Only the audience knows that Lydia’s story is left unresolved. Will she pose a future threat to our heroes?

Whilst Macky and the girls are minding Samuel’s shop, a petty thief steals a piece of jewellery. The silver fish has information vital to the rebel movement engraved on it and if it falls into Roman hands, there will be serious consequences. Macky can’t figure out how to get the fish back, but after telling Leah the story of a resilient John being beaten by the authorities for the crime of healing people, all becomes clear. Moments after getting the fish back, the bars of the harbour prison slam shut on the kids. Just as things are looking desperate, and it seems the gang are to be sent to the salt mines as slaves, Macky remembers the story of Shadrach and the Furnace. Samuel intervenes and creates an elaborate ruse that sets everything right.

It’s Purim time and while Macky, Sollie and the kids act out the story of Esther’s bravery, Diana shows her own bravery, as she tries to lead destitute refugees through the dangerous streets of Alexandria. When Diana is captured, she tells her Roman guard the story of the selfless generosity of Joseph of Cyprus and finds that the guard is sympathetic to the Friends of Jesus. He releases her, but still she can’t shake off Brutacus who with his troop insists on following her home through the streets, as the refugees try to thread their way to safety. Between them, Diana and Sollie use their wits to avert disaster and get the soldiers out of the way so the refugees can safely join in the Purim celebrations.

Out on Macky’s horse without permission, Leah easily outrides a spoilt Roman boy, Caius, who challenges her to a horse race so he can salvage his damaged pride. Rebecca is furious with her little sister, but Macky tells her the famous story of Joseph and his Brothers and she sees that forgiveness between brothers, or sisters, is more important than chastising Leah for her disobedience. When Leah goes to meet Caius and face his wager, Rebecca plans to help her and stop the Roman boy and his flunkies from cheating to win. Meanwhile Portia has been pulling strings amongst her fellow Roman aristocrats to help Leah from the opposite side. Between them they outwit Caius and Brutacus, but Leah had been hoping to get the wealthy Roman lad to pay his dues after beating him in the race. Rebecca tells Leah the story of Simon Magus, who foolishly thought money would make him all-powerful, and little Leah finally understands her big sister’s message.

As Macky’s family and guests celebrate Passover, Portia brings her Roman tutor, Lydia, with her to dinner. Leah recognises Lydia from the sweatshop incident. As the family recount the stories of the Burning Bush and the Exodus, Leah sits in silent fear of Lydia. Lydia is anxious that the Governor will find out about the illegal sweatshop from Leah and Portia, so she gets Tobias to intimidate Samuel and the whole family. A tense but comic cat-and-mouse game ensues as Tobias searches for Leah, but fails to find her and then tries to double-cross Samuel. Portia takes a big risk and warns Samuel of this trickery. Tobias leaves frustrated, once again. Nevertheless Samuel decides there have been too many close calls and to emphasise his belief that it is time to leave Alexandria, he tells the story of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his friends.

Macky and his family have left Alexandria and have sought safety amongst some desert ruins. Macky argues with his father that they have run away from their responsibilities and Samuel tells him the story of Jonah and the Sailors, showing that it is never really possible to leave behind responsibilities. Searching for Samuel back at the shop, a vengeful Tobias arrests their neighbour Nathan and Sollie brings this news to the family in the desert. Returning to the city, Samuel and Macky meet a thief, their old adversary Caleb. When Caleb recounts the story of the Prodigal Son, they know he is no longer a thief and enlist his help to free Nathan from prison. But to their horror, they realise Tobias had been using Nathan as bait to capture Samuel…

With Samuel imprisoned and Caleb injured, Nathan tells a discouraged Macky the story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal to help restore his hope. Portia hears that Daniel, the father of Rebecca and Leah, has been captured by the Romans in Jerusalem and that she is being moved away from Alexandria to Jerusalem with her Uncle. She brings the distressing news to Macky and the girls and Macky makes a promise to Rebecca and Leah that he will, somehow, rescue their father. A torrential rainstorm commences and Samuel tells his frightened fellow prisoners the story of the First Pentecost. Sollie devises a scheme to use the rainwater to flood the palace jail, forcing the guards to open the jail doors. Samuel is finally free, but now Macky tells his parents of his decision to go to Jerusalem, with Portia. Samuel and Diana see that they must let go of their young son. Macky must travel his next journey alone.