We went out for a Sunset Dinner over Istanbul for our last night in Istanbul. The picture above is the Blue Mosque after sunset. We are packing as I blog and will catch airplane in 5 hours. Hope you have enjoyed blogs and look forward to seeing you soon.
This temple is dated to aprox. 12,000 BC. It predates any alphabets known to scholars. Much is conjecture but it is archeological evidence of the earliest religion known to anthropologists. The site is in Eastern Turkey, which is more conservative than the west. We were just a few miles from the Syrian border and saw refugee camps in the area.
This region of Cappadocia is very exotic. Steven Spielberg filmed episodes of Star Wars here because of these exotic rock formations. We rented mountain bikes and took a 20 mile ride through three different canyons. This particular canyon is filled with these phallic rock formations and called love valley. This area is great for hiking, biking, climbing and wine. Early Christians hid out in these canyons and escaped Roman persecution. Cave churches are decorated with welled preserved blue and red frescos depicting scenes from the annunciation to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The earliest civilization on record is the Hittites from 3000 BC.
Visiting Goreme Open Air Museum in Cappodocia. This is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Early Christian Ascetics formed communities here and built churches, homes, cities in caves. The rock formations are beautiful as well as exotic. The frescos that are in the cave churches tell the biblical stories with particular emphasis on the life of Jesus. Will tour the area for the next two days.
We are visiting the seven churches of the Revelation as well as many places Paul visited. These two pictures are representative of incredible artifacts from antiquity. The first is a Library in Ephesus and the second is an amphitheater in Hierapolis, which is close to Colossae and Laodicea. Both have undergone renovation and are in great shape. This amphitheater is in such good shape that you can see where the lions were housed below the stage to entertain crowds with gladiator displays. Early Historian, Irenaeus, tells us that Papias was Bishop of Hierapolis. Papias passed on important tradition which dates to 125 AD. We are going to spend four days on Lycian Way and will be off line. Will catch up when able.
This Fresco is in the church St. Saviour in Chora. The building has some of the best preserved examples of Byzantine mosaics and frescos in the world. I particularly like this one because of its depiction of the resurrection with Jesus grabbing the hands of the dead and pulling them into new life. Anastasia is one of the Greek words for resurrection.
We visited Istanbul's Museum of Archeology and we able to get a broad introduction to the history, culture and religion of Turkey from prehistoric to modern day. The top piece is from the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, however Alexander was not buried in it. The bottom piece is the Roman statue of the god Bes. Lots to take in.
Istanbul at one time was the central city for Christendom. At that time it was called Constantinople. It was the center of four Empires . The history here is so rich because it is the crossroads where East meets West. It is also a place where Islam and Christianity have switched back and forth depending on who conquered whom. Hagia Sophia, originally a church, then converted to a mosque and now a Museum tells the story better than any words can express. The Icon of Christ alongside the Islamic Calligraphy demonstrates the rich religious history. We are learning much about the history of Islam in Turkey as well as how it is practiced in a democracy and by well educated people.
We are visiting this village called Neve Shalom--Wahat al-Salam, "Oasis of Peace". I first heard about it through a Bill Moyers documentary on this community. They are a village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. The members are demonstrating the possibility of coexistence between Jews and Palestinians by developing a community based on mutual acceptance, respect & cooperation. They have many programs that bring people together of different faith traditions, ideologies, ethnicities and give them a safe place to listen to others and express their own views. A model that I call hospitality. Many are secular in their religion. They are committed to peace, justice and reconciliation in an environment that is headed in the opposite direction. It is so interesting to talk to them and learn of their journey. They have an elementary school of 200+ that starts at preschool age to model a different way.
This was excavated at Caesarea and was able to see it while we visited the Unesco Site of Caesarea National Park. The Inscription mentions Emperor Tiberius on the first line and Pontius Pilate on the second. It is the only archeological evidence for the governorship of Pontius Pilate in Palestine that dates back to the First Century. This site is where Herod built an incredible Palace, Temple to Augustus, Hippodrome, Theater etc. all on the Mediterrianian Sea. The site is one of my favorites in Israel.
"I did not see the Bible, I dreamed it. Ever since early childhood, I have been captivated by the Bible. It has always seemed to me and still seems today the greatest source of poetry of all time." Chagall. Went to an exhibition of Marc Chagall in Haifa and was impressed by his ability to capture biblical themes in creative ways. His paintings and drawings express biblical themes, contemporary Judaism, and the Holocaust in such a way as to captivate your imagination. His childhood was filled with the Hasidic Jewish Religion and Culture of his small Lithuanian Village. This quote expresses his sentiments.
We visited Acre (Akko) , An Unesco site on the Northern part of the Mediterranean Sea that is very close to the border of Lebanon. The history here is so varied and rich. The Apostle Paul came through this port on route to Ceasarea when the city was named Ptolemais. This huge hall is from the Crusader Era, when the city served as an important port and fortification for crusaders to conquer the Holy Land. Good place to film an episode of the Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights.
We spent the last six days hiking from Nazareth to Capernaum. With side trips to see towns mentioned in the Gospels, we averaged about ten miles a day. It was so nice to be able to get a feel for the topography and difficulty that Jesus and his disciples experienced when traveling around Galilee. These photos are typical of region. This area reminds me so much of Chelan, Washington. Galilee is a region that is made up of a large body of water, steep hills, a few mountains and productive agricultural land.
This is the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found. There is a small Musuem here along with the excavation of the community dwellings. This community was a sect of Judaism that was at odds with the Temple Priests in Jerusalem. Scholars are still speculating on exactly who they were and their relationship to the other "denominations" of Judaism when Jesus preached, taught, healed, was crucified and resurrected. Scholars do agree that the scrolls were the greatest archeological discovery of the twentieth century. Judaism was and is a diverse community of faith.
This picture was taken in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity. We waited in line for about an 1.75 hours. While in line we were pushed and shoved towards the back of the church. We went down a flight of stairs and in this ornate cave was this star. Christian pilgrims from all over the world were lighting candles, prostrating themselves and kissing this religious object. I was happy to be a Lutheran Christian so I took a picture. This is the traditional location of the birth of Jesus.
This is a photo of the Western Wall. The foundation stones are all that remains of the Second Temple that was the center of worship in First Century AD. It is the Holiest place for Judaism. Jews pray here and place prayers in the cracks in the wall. Many come from all over the world to celebrate Bar Mitzvah. The western wall is a place of worship during Sabbath. Just above the Western Wall is the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock is located. This place really is the point where Judaism & Islam intersect.
We spent the day going to the Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem). The experience of the Holocaust--the annihilation of 6 million Jews by the Nazis during WW II--is so deeply seared into the Jewish national psyche that understanding it goes a long way toward understanding Judaism today. The testimonials along with authentic film clips and artifacts are overwhelming and makes you think about tolerance and respect towards others instead of prejudice and lack of understanding. This sculpture is on the grounds and expresses the suffering and tortured souls of those who experienced such a horrific ordeal.
These pictures were taken at Masada. The Dead Sea is in the background. This was a Fortress-Palace built by Herod the Great and later used by Jewish rebels who fled Jerusalem in 70 AD when Roman armies destroyed the area. Flavius Josephus was one of the rebels who held out here and is the primary source for the history of the war as well as an important source for our historical information about First Century Judaism outside of the Bible and Talmud.
We spent an entire day at the Israel Musuem. This building is the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. The scrolls were discovered in 1947 and date to the Second Temple Period. They were used by a sect of Judaism at Qumran, the Essenes, between 200 BC and 70 AD. The Aleppo Codex is also on display and is considered the most authoritative text of the Hebrew Bible in existence. The Museum had a special exhibition on Herod the Great, who built the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. The artifacts are so impressive and help us understand Second Temple Judaism.
We are now in Jerusalem and starting to get oriented to a new place. This is the Dome of the Rock which Is the third holiest place for Moslems. The Mosque is situated on the ancient Temple Mount where the Second Temple stood in Jesus Time. It is also the location where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac out of obedience to the Lord. It is so interesting to be in a place where Jewish, Christian & Moslem pilgrims come in such large numbers from all over the world and display such piety while visiting biblical sites.
I included this picture because when you travel around Bali you will see sights like this the vast majority of the time. This is a rice field and it is farmed by manual labor. Rice is not only their staple but a whole way of life. Their faith has all kinds of connections with rice, water, harvest etc. Rice and tourism is how most people earn a living. I tried to attend a Easter Worship service and contacted a church. Their only service was at 5:30 AM because the building was used for tourism for the rest of the week. It was about ten miles away and no taxis that early. It made me realize what being a minority is like as a Christian.
Putu and his wife invited us to their home to share with us their hospitality as well as explain how their family practices their Hindu faith. They were very friendly and proud of their religious practice. They didn't seem to have any inhibitions about talking about Hinduism and answering our questions. This bamboo pole is outside thier home and is part of the celebration of Gulungan. As it turned out it is good karma to share with others during this festival. He took us to their local temple and explained the rituals.
Are staying in Pemuteran, Bali, during the Galungan Festival. They have been involved in a very successful coral reef restoration program as well as project to protect sea turtles. We went snorkeling on this boat to the coral reef you see below the boat. The coral reef was so healthy and teeming with a vast variety of fish and plant life. We were fortunate because the water was crystal clear and we were able to see this incredible piece of God's creation.
Today is the beginning of the Balinese Hindu Festival called Galungan. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the penjor - bamboo poles weighed down by offerings suspended at the end. Bali is filled with them now. Each family also kills a pig and eats it as part of the celebration. They all go to temple for the rituals of this celebration. Reminds me of the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico.
Went to a Dance Presentation in Ubud, Bali. The dance told the story of the Hindu Ramayana Epic. The costumes were incredibly gorgeous and the traditional music of percussion and keyboard accompaniment added to it all. The dance had subtle head movements, eye gestures, hand and arm movements that were part of the genre. It was all exotic and filled with drama. This culture likes bells our bell choir would fit right in.
This is part of the Balinese Traditional Hindu Wedding that we were invited to. The groom is the brother of the worker at our Hotel that befriended us. The prayers at the wedding were traditional mantras with bells rung at appropriate times, incense burning ,holy water sprinkling and offerings of flowers and etc. to the Hindu gods. If some of you think we have too much traditional liturgy at our church then you should check out the Hindu Liturgy and stop complaining. I was particularly impressed by the family solidarity, village relationships and close community life that these people have. Their life is not about the individual but more about the community, their traditions hold their lives together and their religion is a part of it all. Secularity hasn't eroded their connection to God and one another. The ceremony took place in their family compound. Their cloths are family clothes passed down and only worn at weddings.
We are in Bali for two weeks. Bali is part of Indonesia but is unique in that the major religion here is Hinduism. The rest of Indonesia is Moslem. We visited the Mother Temple of Bali. This Hindu Temple is used for worship as well as a major tourist attraction. The Balinese are very open about their religion and talk about it without any inhibitions. Talked to a Hindu Priest and He was very hospitable. Hinduism is hard to understand and their sacred story is hard to follow. In Bali it's mixed up with animism and folk practices. We were invited to a wedding today by a man who works with the place we are staying. Looking forward to see how ceremony, family systems and religion are all practiced at this occasion.
Took an over-night train ride from Southern Thailand to Bangkok in upper berth. It was an education to travel with Thai families and see how they travel around their beautiful country. Temperature started out around 90 degrees and cooled down to 80 by morning. People came around selling food in the morning that was street food to go. This cute little boy was curious about the Caucasians who were next to his family. Felt like we were camping and appreciated shower in Bangkok after sweating all night. Pictures taken on iPhone so quality was not so good.
We have been off the grid totally, stayed in a small village, in this tree-house for two days, the river picture is behind me and 25 feet away from deck. This place is the Camp Sherman of Thailand. Made contact with Ellen's cousin Bodhi, who is a manager of the Eco-Resort that this tree house is part of. He has lived here for ten years and married a thai woman. They have a very cute two year old daughter named boon. They have been very helpful in orienting us to some of the harder to get at intricacies of Thai culture and Buddhism as practiced by the laity as well as offered us their warm hospitality. The Eco-Resort is part of a National Park that is all rain forest. Ellen was freaked out by some leeches that we had to pick off our lower legs as well as the snakes,Boas, and spiders. My imagination clicked in and I was thinking we were in a mix of Jurassic Park, Tarzan and a National Geographic Special.
We are off the beaten trail for three days of R&R. Our accommodations are on this beautiful beach outside a small fishing town on the Eastern Coast. If you are familiar with Sayulita, Mexico, it reminds me of that beach without any development. Fishing boats are in and out and the sea food here is their specialty.
We are visiting Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO Site. The site covers 75 square Kilometers and dates back to 1238 AD and had its golden age in the 14th Century. This Buddah figure is unique to this area (walking, elegant with feminine characteristics). These sites help you understand the significance their temples, shrines, relics & practices then and now. Temperature has been above 90 and humid, for the first in our marriage Ellen told me she is warm enough.
The flowers in Bangkok are so beautiful. This lotus is at The Royal Palace. Bird of Paradise flowers grow like weeds along canals. There is a Flower Market we went to yesterday where people bring their flowers that took up a few city blocks. Leaving Bangkok today.
This was a very special celebration for Ellen & me. Thank you for your prayers and thoughtfulness as we begin this time of renewal, sabbath rest, exploration, & adventure in sacred vocation and our marriage.
