From the Heart to the Navel

Hello friends and family! Heidi and I have returned from our explorations of the great Greek lands. Our travels took us from here in the heart of Europe down South to the place in Delphi where the ancient Greeks believed the navel of the world rested. In between there was quite a bit to see and experience as I am sure you can imagine.

The Greeks are a lovely people who are always interested in hearing your story and sharing some of theirs with you. It seemed that everywhere we went people young and old walking past us on the sidewalk or serving us a gyro would stop and ask who we were, why we were in their city, and where we were from. And in exchange, they would recommend somewhere we just had to go to or something we needed to try in order to have the full Greek experience. The land they live in is painted with the most vibrant colors. Even the soil of the earth takes on rich shades of brown that are as beautiful in their own right as the brilliant greens of the crops around them and the touchable blue of the sky. It is simply stunning. And the history of the place… as the birthplace of Europe, it seemed that every time we meandered down a different street we stumbled upon ruins from the 11th century or a basilica from the 14th. And the Greeks are so proud of their past. They are proud of who they are as a people and gladly take up the great responsibilities that such a position in the world brings.

One of the things I learned about them, though, is that the Greeks do not define themselves by their ancestry. Just as many of the cities are built directly upon or alongside the ruins of the past so too the Greek people recognize the foundation upon which they find themselves, but they go on to build their own homes and markets and places of worship. It is hard to explain but it is as if they recognize their heritage but don’t end with it. It does not define them. Their present is today and their future tomorrow; not somewhere in by gone days. Yet, no one would blame them for focusing on the past in an attempt to call it the present if they wanted to. But they seem to have discovered that your past is only one element which helps to mold you into the person or people who you are growing to be. The truly important thing is that you grow which is exactly what those three weeks gave me the chance to do.

At the time, I was reading through the book of Acts in the Bible. In the mornings, I would read about places and people, and in the afternoons, I would see them. The Bible is real. It is alive. It all happened and it is.

I read about the riot of the shrine makers in Ephesus and then that afternoon, in the National Archeological Museum there was a statue, an idol, of the goddess Artemis sitting upon a stand from that same city. And I read about how Paul was shipwrecked off the coast of Crete where we had just been, and also about Paul preaching in the synagogue in Thessalonica and in the ancient agora (the marketplace) and the Areopagus (a place of debating and discussion) in Athens. And this was his message to the ancestors of the people I met:

"Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17: 22-27)

The message has not changed. He who is the Creator became something created in order that His grace and glory could be made manifest and reconcile all of us sinners to Himself. Praise be to God!

Experiencing a true winter in all its splendor

After returning from a wonderful time at home with my family and friends (and 75 degree weather), I have returned and plunged back into the frigid Czech lands. Literally.

The day after my red-eye flight, I hopped in a car with some Czech friends and Heidi, and we headed north to the mountains near the Polish border. One of the ladies is the wife of the coach of the Czech ski team so the mission for the weekend was to teach Heidi and me how to ski. This is where the plunging came in.

The mountains were stunning. Snow blanketed the forest floor and the Christmas trees sagged with their white burden. Being there, I can understand how people can honestly love the winter. Up to this point, I must say, I had my doubts. But, it is a whole other world when everything is white as if the Lord decided to shoot with black and white film for a few months for the sheer beauty of it and to make sure we notice colors when they return.

Speaking of fresh coloring, I myself gained some over the weekend. Not your conventional browning, however. Mine is more of a bluish purple. In addition to my oh so sore muscles, it is all the evidence I have to show that I have officially added skiing to my repertoire of abilities. Coming downhill though was not the problem. That part was enthralling. It was the rides up. In the Czech Republic, such things as metal chair lifts which you sit down on and pull the bar snug are unnecessary. I think this is because most of the people on the slopes here have skied their whole lives so such luxury is unnecessary. So instead, they had this contraption which looks like a rope swing with a small red circle on the bottom for which you must position your skis, wait until it rounds the corner, grab the rope, shove the circle beneath you, and hold on as you are whisked off up the mountain. The same task in reverse awaits you if you are lucky enough to keep your skis going in the proper direction and arrive safely at the top. Needless to say, this task is the origin of the new temporary tattoos on my sore body. The pain quickly faded, however, as the powder sprayed and the wind cut through my layers as I would head back down the Czech mountainside (on what I erroneously supposed to be the least steep side). Overall, it was a wonderful welcome back to the Czech Republic for which I am so thankful.

Now it is time to look forward to the rest of the semester still to come. In just a couple of days, Heidi and I are headed to Greece (and, hopefully, not quite as severe temperatures). From there we will head north, backpacking for about a month. So until February when I return home and once again have my computer, I wish you all the best as I leave you in the hands of are all-powerful and loving Lord.