THE LAST DAY OF OUR GREECE PILGRIMAGE

Welcome back to the final day of our pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul! We will explore some places in Greece that, though not directly related to Paul’s missionary journeys, are too beautiful not to share. Some of the sites have biblical references.

DELPHI

One of my favorite places to experience God’s beauty in nature was in Delphi, Greece, which is about six miles from the Corinth Canal and north of Athens. Delphi is situated between two towering rocks of Mount Parnassus known as the Phaidriades (Shining) Rocks. It became an ancient religious sanctuary in the 8^th century B.C. dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. The Oracle of Delphi was an ancient oracle that was believed to deliver prophecies from Apollo at the Temple of Apollo, but the oracle was always a woman who spoke on behalf of others. There is a theater above the Temple of Apollo, and even further is the stadium where the Pythian Games, the second most important games in Greece after the Olympics, were held. The view is breathtaking, especially upon the descent. Delphi declined with the rise of Christianity.

 

 

 

 

 

The theater where the Pythian Games took place

 

KALAMBAKA-METEORA

Another most amazing scenic area is called Kalambaka, or Meteora, which is a few hours north of Delphi. Meteora is an extraordinary combination of giant cliffs with Greek Orthodox Christian monasteries built on top of them. The average height of the cliffs is 1,000 feet, with the tallest about 3,200 feet; the name of the area was derived from a Greek contraction meaning “suspended in the air.” We visited the Holy Monastery of St. Stephen, which was breathtaking with its paintings, frescoes, and intricate detail in its artwork. The monasteries were built as a haven of solitude, to get away from the cares of the world, and to have a place of prayer. They were also used as a place of penance for monks who broke their vows who would be let down by rope. Currently there are about 60 monks and nuns who live in the monasteries.

 

Nighttime at Meteora

 

 

Sunrise at Meteora

 

A hanging monastery

 

 

A cliff that we could see people hiking!

 

 

CRETE

Crete is the largest and most southerly of all the Greek Isles. Our stop was only for a short time, so I opted to walk along the coastline for a bit, where I discovered a fortress that translates to “Fort on the Sea.” Paul had a connection to Crete—the opposite area from where we were.

We pick up this Scripture when Paul was being transported as a Roman prisoner from Caesarea to Rome, probably about 59 C.E.

 

We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.  We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens [harbor on Crete], near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.  –Acts 27:7-15  (NIV)

 

After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.  But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”  –Acts 27: 21-26  (NIV)

God’s grace was at work protecting Paul’s life and those on the ship despite the storm they encountered. Even while being a prisoner, Paul held onto his faith, encouraging those traveling with him since God let him know only their ship would be destroyed. Paul’s life reminds us that suffering is part of our lives, but God’s grace will always see us through. 

 

Fort on the Sea

 

Close up of Fort on the Sea

PATMOS

Patmos is a small mountainous isle, about seven miles long and three miles wide. It has two narrow isthmuses that divide it into three parts. Patmos is most famous for being the island that Scriptures say the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, was written by a man named John.

 

A view of the island Patmos

 

Grotto of Apocalypse—where John received and penned the Book of Revelation

 

 

A fresco inside the Holy Monastery of St John the Theologian

 

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.  On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”  –Revelation 1:9-11  (NIV)

It was a sacred moment filled with grace to be at the site where John was inspired by the Spirit to pen this sacred Scripture. It was even more special to have been at Ephesus, one of the seven churches John was told to write to. God’s grace guides us.

MYKONOS

Mykonos is a beautiful Greek Isle that we visited for a few hours. It greets visitors with crystal-clear waters and beaches. There are whitewashed buildings and narrow streets that have many shops, churches, and fine dining that you can wander through while walking along the shoreline. They also have an iconic landmark of 16^th-century windmills, which sit on a hill above the town.

 

 

 

Sunset at Mykonos

 

The big windmills

 

SANTORINI

The Greek Isle of Santorini is very unique in that it is a crescent-shaped,  mostly submerged caldera located in the southern Aegean Sea about 74 miles north of Crete. Visible above water is the circular Santorini island group, a total of five islands with Santorini being the main one. The island is host to whitewashed, blue-domed, cubiform houses in the towns of Fira and Oia that cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera that overlooks the sea. Santorini is also known for its beautiful sunsets.

 

 

 

Some unique trees

 

 

 

Sunset at Santorini

 

Well, my fellow pilgrims, I hope you have enjoyed our pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul as we accompanied him on his second missionary journey as much as I have. My prayer is that you have gained a greater appreciation for Paul and his call to spread the Good News to the Gentiles. What a beautiful story of redemption his conversion story is; just like yours and mine! God shares abundantly His grace with each one of us every moment if only we have open hearts to see it.

 

Be encouraged this week to…

…soak up the beauty of the natural world God has made.

…spend a little time in solitude and prayer.

…see the ways God’s grace is helping you through the difficult times.

…listen to the voice of the Spirit leading you.

…recognize God’s grace throughout your days.

 

REFLECTION:

Where have you most experienced the beauty of nature?
What is one way you saw God’s grace in your life today?

 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.  –1 Corinthians 15:10-11  (ESV)