The last two days have actually been spent on (and around) Greek Islands. Not only that, but these specific Islands are actually mentioned in Acts.
Acts 20:15 mentions Paul "touching" at Samos before Miletus. Samos is also (probably) the birth place of Pythagoras.
On Monday we went from Turkey to Samos where we rented cars and spent the day exploring the Island. Aside from the gorgeous views and other adventures, a highlight for me was telling a joke about Pythagoras in Pythagoria near the statue of Pythagoras.
There are quaint Greek Orthodox churches every 10m or so.
And in general it was beautiful.
This morning we got an early start and headed to Patmos. We were going into the wind, and with our ship sailing wasn't possible, so we motored the whole way and made good time, arriving about 3:30.
The trip itself was beautiful with clear blue waters, dolphins, and beautiful sailboats passing by.
Once on Patmos we climbed one of the many hills to visit the Cave of St. John. This is supposedly where John was when he had his vision of Jesus. It was interested to reflect on his circumstances. He was forced to be separated from his church in Ephesus and near the end of his life. He must have felt useless and probably wondered, as the last of the apostles, what would happen after his death? Would the Kingdom of God prevail, or would the Kingdom of Rome swallow it up? How encouraging to him this vision must have been. Not only did it give him something useful to fill his days, but it reminded him that in the end God wins.
The island of Patmos is beautiful. I think one of my favorite things, though, is the smell. It's something of a mix between fresh mountain air and more tropical/oceanic smells. We're spending the day here tomorrow as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment