The Road of a Jailbird
Yesterday was a great, but long day. We went to Philippi, and it was as close to following in the footsteps of Paul as you could get. My pictures from Philippi leave much to be desired. It was not my best day as my ISO was way to high all day long. Good or bad pictures aside I will remember this day for the rest of my life. First, we saw a prison where Paul definitely was. It is the prison where Paul was being held, when an earthquake struck. The doors jarred free, and Paul and the others could have escape, but Paul convinced the others to stay. The guard was so thankful and out of this experience he became a Christian. I love this story because it shows how we can in the face of the strongest adversity and even cruelty, still show love and still follow our call. Paul’s actions in that prison, remind me of others like Martin Luther King Jr. and Detrich Bonhoeffer. If you know me, you already know my deep love for them, but the kinds of sacrifices and dedication to what God calls them to, is something we ought to look up to. But all to often we are not Paul, but rather the jailer. We ought to also reflect on how we respond to the unjust suffering of others.
We also had the chance to walk the Roman road into Phillipi, and road that we know Paul walked. We walked on the same cobbled stones that Paul walked. We arrived to Phillipi on a large, comfortable, air-conditioned bus with enough water to fill a lake. Paul, walked in sandals with only what he could carry in the heat and sun. We walked into Phillipi knowing that we would be safe and cared for. A place where we would be surrounded by fellow believers. Paul walked into Phillipi where people did not want him. Where people jailed him and ran him out of town with literal pitchforks and torches. How we walked that road was in everyway unlike Paul, but yet we walked it with him and he with us.
I might skip tomorrows post. Today, Thursday the 19th, we spent the whole day crossing the boarder into Turkey from Greece. I do not really have anything interesting to say about that other than, crossing boarders is hard. So we shall see.
