We have been searching for living water, finding it in valleys in Turkey and Jordan, largely, or at least areas where land meets water. We also find living water, the presence of Christ in ourselves, the landscapes, the people we meet and the history of the areas we visit which covers the whole history of the Hebrew people and the early Christians.
First
Istanbul (5/7-5/10), the crossroads of civilization, the meeting of East and West, the beauty of the churches of the 4th century, especially
Hagia Sophia (the photo above is of the Jesus mosaic inside) and Chora.
Then the valley of
Cappadocia (5/10-12), the hermits living in the valley caves and later gatherings of monks and nuns into monasteries. The great Christian theologians: Basil the Great, Gregory of Naziansus and Gregory of Nyssa. The theology that held that God is light, and that light lives in us. The life dedicated to God offers a pilgrimage of cleansing to find that light. We spent a day touring the open air museum of 50 cells and churches.
The Dark Church was most moving; beautiful mosaics; in the nearby Tokali cave church, the mosaics pictured the Nativity, with the star’s rays shining directly onto Jesus IN HIS BATH! The water image then carried out in his baptism by John. In the Nativity scene three wise men (one young, one middle-aged, and one elderly) looked lovingly at Jesus, while their donkeys did, as well.
Our hotel, the Cave Hotel, was literally part of the stone wall. We ate next door, at the hotel dining room overlooking the strange fairy chimney spires of Cappadocia, many latticed with windows, doors, and dovecotes (the pigeons were prized for their dropping for fertilizer).
In Cappadocia, the weather was chilly, sometimes dramatically rainy.
On the last day, we took a hot air balloon (rising at 4:30 am to do so); it gently rose above all the valleys and fairy chimneys; we saw the spire of St Simon the hermit, where he lived for 30 years.
Then we flew to Izmir for
Ephesus, the great ruins of the Roman city where Paul lived for three years and wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Philemon. The beauty of the mosaics of people’s homes offset somewhat by realizing that private noble families held gladiator fights to the death in their homes; some walls show graffiti by gladiators.
Ephesus was dedicated to Artemis, and the evocative description (Acts 19) of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, threating the silver smiths as he preached Christ, is very vivid as one sees the amphitheater, which seats 10,000 people.
Artemis represented the feminine, the Earth mother, and a city dedicated to her was open to receiving the doctrine from the 5th century council at Ephesus that Mary is the mother of God. Up the mountain, we visited he chapel in which Mary perhaps lived, guided to Ephesus by John, as Jesus gave her into John’s hands. A story about a 19th century European nun who had a vision about Mary’s house, which exactly corresponded to this structure, now a church run by Capuchins (with Mozart’s mass played quietly); the foundations are 1st Century. Outside is a spring, of living water, people who wash there (as I did) also may write prayers on tissue paper; thousands of pieces of paper are attached to a grill along the stone wall.
We stayed in a sweet hotel in a small village overlooking forested hillsides; I walked through the town, an older woman gave me rosemary and thyme from her gatherings; mornings are full of the seemingly joyful crowing, braying, baaing and song of roosters, donkeys, goats, and the call from the Islamic mosque to prayer.
Our inn keeper runs an organic establishment, goes to Prague for pleasure and decries the Islamization of Turkey because of its intolerance. He is a socialist.
He (as well as Jordanians we have visited with) blames the US and the Bush-Iraqi war for destabilizing the region and the developing Islamisization of the Middle East in reaction. (We heard this also from Jordanian Christians.)
After Ephesus, we flew (Jordanian airlines is so very well run, and pleasant, with meals and wine offered on each flight even in coach class) from Izmir through Istanbul to
Madaba, Jordan, a Christian town about ½ hour from Amman.
Now we are in desert, the Dead Sea area, Israel to the West, Jordanian mountains and hospitality. On May 16 our guide, Sam, gave a tour of the Madaba Mosaic Church (accurately shows Christian pilgrimage sites when it was created in the 5th century), Mt. Nebo (where Moses looked over the Promised Land and died), and the Moses spring, below the mountain which is ancient (and where we discovered and ate from the almond trees, also caper bushes). In the museum we read the fascinating description by the 4th century nun Egeria of the caves of hermits who welcomed her at the Moses spring and took her to the top of Mt. Nebo to view the now ruined churches and mosaics.
We lunched at a women’s cooperative home; food cooked by the women of the household who also sew and embroider lovely clothes and scarves. In the afternoon, Bethany beyond the Jordan.
We (Sam our guide, born in Madaba of a family of Christians that came in the late 19th century; Susan and Michael and I) went to the site where Jesus probably was baptized. Now the Jordan is a slow-moving stream, bushes along the sides, the Israeli security checkpoint across the water. There are large hotels being built by religious orders; a dust storm partially obscured them. The air feels rather murky and mysterious, because of the dust. This is a pilgrimage site; Sam said that it should be kept simple and protests the hotels. Even though on the Jordanian side it was blocked by Israel from access; when it finally was opened, Sam said that his baptism became real. We found a spot on the river, with a contemporary font next to it. Walking down a few steps first I waded in, dunked my head and then went in totally. I felt so moved to realize that Jesus walked here and was baptized by John. While in the water, Susan said that perhaps Christ, in taking on sins that were not his own, was compelled to go into the wilderness to encounter them, confront them.
As I came out, water dripping from my clothes I felt renewed, baptized in LIVING WATER. Is it possible to give up guilt?
I have been dreaming about Ascension, about preaching on Jesus’ baptism and the meaning of baptism. Fruitful conversations about the church occur with Susan and Michael.
Yesterday (5/17) we were at the first class Six Senses Spa resort hotel at Evason Ma’In Hot Springs, Madaba (the wine/food director told us it has been given the distinction of being the best spa in the Middle East). All the staff members wear brown monk-like robes and give an air of serenity. The highlight was the spa, set behind the hotel at the end of the steep valley; it used to be a mosque, now a spa with changing rooms for men and women, women’s only bathing area, a sauna cave of hot spring water. After entering the steam heated sauna, one enters a beautiful swimming pool, a water fall cascading over one’s head. The walls of the valley rise high around us, with other water falls visible. Surely an ancient site, now dedicated to SLOW: Sustainable, Local, Organic, Wholesome. This was a fitting end to a day that included Bethany on the Jordan.
5/18/12 Happy are those who delight in the law of the Lord… They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Ps. 1:1-2)
This verse came to me as we drove from Feynan Eco-Lodge in
Dana Nature Reserve, Jordan, where we now are, for a half-day wadi hike. Now we are in real desert. The Bedouin run the lodge; goats graze and sometimes enter the dining room. For centuries people have lived in this area, which had inhabitants 12,000 years ago, more recently copper mining (n which Christian prisoners during the Roman period worked and died in the punishing conditions). Mid-day the sun is hot, Michael read from the Desert Mothers and Fathers. In the desert one faces God head-on.
This eco-lodge, run by the Royal Conservation society, is 100% solar heated and serves only (delicious) vegetarian food; an adobe structure, the only electricity is the bathroom, so we have candles in the rooms. At night, stargazing on the roof. The Bedouin are not only welcoming but funny. They make up the bulk of the employees; their tents are alongside the dirt road which leads to the lodge and to the entry into the wadi. In the past decade, pipes have been run along the ground from the wadi; we saw women load the water onto donkeys for the short distance to their tents. The Royal Conservation Society is learning from the Bedouin about how to live sustainably in the region, especially water protection.
Our hike featured the treat of a flute played by our guide, made out of bamboo; he not only called dog, a goat, and a donkey, but joked about the lions soon coming to his call. Beautiful oleanders lined the stream, used to make a green tea to bathe the goats to keep pests off.
I reflected that the Bedouin are living the life of all the early Hebrew people, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Esau. They are our ancestors. They are respected in Jordan as representing the heritage of the people.
Today (5/19) we were treated to four hours with three Bedouin families. I was brought to tears by an older woman slowly making Turkish coffee for us, the breeze blowing under the tent, goats milling about; she showed us the cardoman seeds that she added to the pot. We sat on rush mats with our guide; for an hour time slowed; several children were entertained by our presence but they also helped in bringing utensils; she first used an ancient-looking frying pan to roast the coffee beans, ground them with a mortar and pestle and boiled the mixture; finally adding the cardoman. One takes three servings in small cups, and then indicates by shaking the cup that one has had enough.
We three visitors reminded us of Abraham and Sarah entertaining angels unawares. Our guide said that because of the mixture of peoples through the ages in this area, he surely has Christian and Jewish forebears, though now he is of course Muslim.
In another home we were treated to a traditional bread baked in the ashes in the fire, to the process of making of youghut, which an older woman did by pushing a lamb or goat skin filled with milk and water back and forth. The Bedouin believe in simple speech; the desert teaches simplicity and toughness. In the desert everywhere there is water, including small leakage from the pipes that connect the wadi to the villages, running along the desert sand, there is life: small green and pink oleander bushes.
After four hours, we felt peaceful, graciously received, and lovingly asked whether we wanted to become Bedouin, especially to herd the goats. The goats seem so sweet to me, that I was ready to accept.
Then a drive over unbelievably rocky and dry terrain, up and over a mountain to
Petra.
Sunday, May 20 is the 39th anniversary of my ordination.
I ask Ascension to pray with me. O God I am filled with gratitude for the saints at Ascension Lutheran Church. Guide them in your wisdom and love that they may be fruitful messeners of your Gospel of love and justice and peace for al creation. May they bear in their souls a deep, abiding love for you and for your kingdom. Thank you for calling me to join with them in ministry. Give us the grace of renewal in your love and purposes for us.
WE pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
We had a wonderful day in Petra, including a visit to one of the oldest churches in the Middle East. We sat by the ruined cross-shaped baptistery and said our daily prayer, thanking God for ordination and ministry and praying for our churches and God’s kingdom in the world. Susan and I rode camels up out of Petra, imagining that we were bringing spices and leather goods (and that we were men!); followed by a wonderful dinner and a Turkish bath. A wonderful, fun day.!
Today, May 21 we drive on to Bethlehem, after lunch at Amman with Sam and his wife.
