'WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?' Answer #6
'Rolling out the Turkish Delight'- In the late afternoon of our first complete day in Turkey, Kathie and I were ushered into the side SHOW room of Nedim's Fine Rugs & Artifacts, located in an upscale district of Istanbul. The room was well lit so that we would not miss a nuance of color beaming from hundreds of his rugs. Nedim and his associates knew Funda, our guide, and greeted us like we were royalty. 'Come, come, and see!' Before we could even ask why we were there, the couch was pulled out, the table set with Turkish tea and we were presented with Nedim's magic carpet show. Kathie & I said to each other, 'Oh, my gosh- here we go again!' (Referring to our time in Israel.) As Kathie tried to explain, with little success, that we were not some 'rich American tourists', Nedim shifted into a higher gear. He brought out an elderly woman who spoke no English but was a life-time weaver. She so gracefully demonstrated how the rugs were made by double knotting each strand of wool. 'You try!' Nedim encouraged Kathie. As I enjoyed my second cup of tea, Kathie was giving the weaving a go. 'What colors you like?' asked Nedim in English as he gave commands in Turkish to his assistants. Carpet after carpet came out- large- little- bright- tamer tones. He got a feel for her (our) taste of 'delight.' Noticing Kathie beginning to nibble, I asked 'how much?' Nedim's Turkish Delight had hit a sweet spot. About an hour later, after the first glass of red wine was finished, I wanted to buy one for Kathie. Nedim and I agreed on a price. 'But what about the girls?', Kathie asked. Nedim threw it into overdrive, 'How many daughters you have?' In 10 seconds his assistants threw out another 6 rugs. 'You need more wine. I make you VERY GOOD DEAL! I will take care of all taxes and shipping, just sign here.' With the second glass of wine gone, and the colors of the carpets becoming less clear, the deal was made. Getting back into the van, Kathie leaned over to me, 'What did we just do? This is only the first day. I feel sick.' Yes, and there were four more shows over the next days- carpets, ceramics, onyx, & even fancy silk-leather coats. Oh, the silk leather show- that really pushed the envelope. We were ushered into a show room that seated about 100 people, the only nuance was- WE WERE IT! Being seated directly in front below the 'Strut Your Stuff Stage'- with an upbeat rhythm vibrating the walls and hot TurkishTea along with pencil and note card in hand- the models did their STEPPING one by one. As Kathie sunk with embarrassment, I enjoyed tasting 'beautiful people' rolling out their delights. Yes, a silky sabbatical! After the proprietor tried to get me to try on a $1500 navy blue silk leather reversible jacket (which had caught my eye during the show) and Kathie gave me that stare: "DON'T YOU DARE PUT THAT ON!'- we left with purchasing only a $12 ceramic bowl with tulips painted in. Tasting Turkish Delights- just another reason as to WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
3 Comments
'GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS'- Artemis (Acts 19) is the mother goddess. With her multiple accessory breasts she became the great goddess of Ephesus, Laodicea, and Sardis. Her breasts were worshipped in temples riddled throughout the 1st century Roman world, she is everywhere. While her temples have been destroyed by earthquakes her breasts have not, only the worship has been transferred from marble edifices to sandy beaches. (I can personally testify to the 'multiple breasts' by my many visits to the beach- in order to swim my laps of course!...... What was that reason Peterson wrote as to the way to stimulate one's imagination: 'to believe recklessly & to behave playfully'- Artemis secures the second for sure!) Artemis was not only a 'propagation stimulus' plan she was also an 'economic stimulus' plan put forth by the government- this of course is where Paul ran into his stiffest opposition. Sex stimulates but its consummation is in the sale. BUT GOD, (you were wondering when He was going show up) is not deterred by neither goddesses nor gold. In this great city of over 400,000 inhabitants, lived these crazy Christians who were neither impressed by her breasts nor the bread she brought. How reckless to remain steadfast against the overwhelming currents of the world's trinity- sex, money, & power! 'Crazy Christians' so out of character, behaving so oddly- exempting out of a mainstream culture that worshipped Emperors, Ecstasies, and Economic Cash Cows! This small group recklessly worshipped, by playfully drinking blood, eating ordinary bread, and re-membering the Word of the Resurrected One. And over all that they recklessly showered real love (agape and phileoo-not only Artemis Eros) upon one another. Another helpful lifestyle to view up close & reason enough TO BE HERE! Pergamon- 'Dying Not Allowed Here' What would you do if you suddenly inherited about $9 billion? That is what happened to a lucky chap named Phileteros in the 3rd century B.C. One of Alexander the Great's generals (Lysimachos) went to war and left the stash he gained from his many conquests with Phileteros while he went out in search for more. Well, his string of victories came to an end and so did he. So what would the over night billionaire, Phileteros do with his booty? He built what became a state of the art Roman city- Pergamon (one of the 7 churches in Revelation). On top of the mountain stand the ruins of a 1st & 2nd century Roman edifice over looking a city of 100k. The site boasts a temple to Zeus & Athenia as well as an Imperial site to worship the emperor Trajan. Its wisdom, measured in the size of its library, was rivaled only by Alexandria. Wealth, wisdom, & worship- the holy trinity of the 1st & 2nd century Roman world was on full display. Yet for all its glory, a little lower down the hill, was constructed a hospital, a 1st century pysch unit (shrinks have been around a long time.) A place where people (primarily workers) came to be renewed and refreshed by entering a tunnel to listen to running water. The water soothed the soul (I get that!) But what was that doing there? Why? Turns out the city for all its advanced wisdom did not realize the fall-out from their LEAD constructed state of the art aqueducts. Thus a hospital was built to calm and tame the terror of the lead induced demons. But since the inscription at the entrance of the hospital read: 'Dying Not Allowed Here' if you looked as though you were not going to make it, you simply were not admitted (maybe that could lower our health care costs.) In and through all this were living the early Christians- small, insignificant in scope and expanse when it came to the wisdom, wealth, and worship of that first century power house. Peterson claims that the most effective way to advance the kingdom is not from the center of society- but rather from its edges, its margins. The kingdom is leaven, salt, mustard seed. This appears to be God's strategy (my word not his). If we want to discover what the Holy Spirit is up to- don't go looking to the world's story line of bigness in wealth, wisdom, & worship. Look rather to the edges- the Little, the Lost, the Least- who and what is ignored in the world's eyes. After all was said and done our chap Phileteros with his $9 billion city did not endure the earthquakes and barbarians that came. It was not at the Pysch Hospital where 'no dying' occurred -- it was among those who held to the reckless belief in resurrection. Just another answer to Kathie & I as to WHY WE WERE THERE. Cappadocia 'strangers & scattered.' 'Peter, an apostle of our Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia & Bithynia.' I Peter 1. Why were the 1st & 2nd century Christians here? This, the middle of Turkey, the middle of No-Where (if you like eastern Montana- this is your place). Volcanic eruptions provided a 'Star Trek' topography enabling early people to carve caves in the rock for shelter from the cold and hot sun. It is here Christians fled for safety from the imperial Roman Empire. They (obviously 'strangers & scattered') not only survived but thrived. By deepening the already ancient Hittite caves, they were able to live 4 stories beneath the earth for a month at a time. This meant little food (cooking was dangerous), little light & claustrophobia. Yet also carved into the caves are not only domestic dwellings but places of worship, beautiful frescoes painted and carved into the walls & ceilings. All telling the story of Jesus & the early apostles. All pointing to the Resurrection. It is clear 'why they were there'. But why did the Romans even care that they were there. Was it worth their effort? What was their return on investment? I left with questions. But I also left with a DEEP APPRECIATION for those who have gone before me-the Apostle Peter-St. Basil-St. Simon. 'Strangers- Scattered' people who 'believed recklessly' (how does one hang onto resurrection when living in a dark cave unless one is reckless in one's belief!) These are the people whose shoulders I stand- every time I climb the pulpit to continue to tell the story. What a privilege it is to be a participant in this story. And how especially privileged I am to actually make a good living by doing it! Today there are no Christians left in Cappadocia, yet the story is being told in those ancient caves where thousands still come. God's story even in volcanic rock will not return void. Which is also a reason I left encouraged- if the Holy Spirit could keep and spread the story via volcanic rock I am confident She will continue this story among 'strangers scattered' throughout the often difficult topography of Lawndale. Just another reason WHY WE ARE HERE! Mark Lipscomb, true to his ability to get to the heart of things, asked me a penetrating question before I left Chicago: 'What do YOU want out of this sabbatical? Forget about Lilly reports, forget about producing something, forget about that other people think this is some junket trip, even forget about what the church may expect, WHAT DO YOU WANT?' His question, as I was frantically trying to finish everything so I could leave, caught me by surprise. WHAT WAS I DOING going there? The answer came, as I sat on the plane, from my mentor Eugene once again. I wanted to 'hear from God'-not sure what I wanted to hear...all I knew is that I wanted to hear. But when God is the subject I am wired to either become very cautious, afraid to make a mistake & trying so hard to get it just right (a good theologian who wants to THINK RIGHT) or I quickly take whatever words I think are said and turn it into a obsessive ethical moralism (a good person who wants to ACT RIGHT.) Peterson, using St. John's Revelation, points beyond these two options. As Eugene writes, 'John is not trying to get us to think more accurately or to train us into better behavior- but TO GET US TO BELIEVE MORE RECKLESSLY & BEHAVE MORE PLAYFULLY.' Wow! That's it! 'Faith-recklessness & Hope-playfulness'- certainly a stretch for a pietistic Calvinist! 'Believing Recklessly & Behaving Playfully' has become our mantra this sabbatical. And what may that look like? While Istanbul was a blur of 17 million Muslims talking Turkish and we were just recovering from being squeezed in a packed plane for 13 hours, we still were able to press on, with the help of guides, to take in the mosques & begin to expand our appreciation of Islam's religion, history, and culture. Still that same evening we attended a crazy Turkish women's basketball playoff game to watch Cappie Pondexter play. As I remind her that I used to go 1 on 1 with her in the 6th grade! After the game we met Cappie coming out of the locker room as fans and people pressed in to greet the players. As we greeted Cappie a fan stepped up to try to get her picture- we pulled back to allow the fan in- Cappie stepped forward and spoke directly to the fan, 'Excuse me, I'm visiting with my family!' Family? In Turkey, where the call to pray is issued 5xs per day. The next night after another full day of mosque's and Sultan summer palaces, we waited at her hotel as Cappie finished practice. After about 20 years it was a little awkward but with the help of conversation, quesadillas, beer, ice cream & cappuccino’s re-acquaintance was achieved. The taxi came for us and as we said our good byes, 'family' revisited my mind, as I hugged Cappie & told her 'she also was one of my daughters.' What do I want out of this sabbatical? God- recklessly & playfully. And it was beginning! What are we doing here? Answer #1
As Kathie closed the door in the darkness to exit our rental car, which was stopped at an open air grocery store, to ask for directions from a woman who could not speak English, but at 10:30pm was a 'live person' to talk to, I repeated what has become our favorite question for this trip, 'What are we doing here?' The grocery store employee directed Kath to a dark entry way across the street. In the city of Chania with over 60k people, we somehow aimlessly landed in front of this store. Wow! Kathie was absorbed into the darkness for what seemed to be far too long 'what was happening?' Finally she came running back with a woman, who indicated that we needed to follow her car. “I was somewhat frightened in there. I did not know where I was and the room was filled with about 15 Arab men who wanted to know who I was.” Kath indicated to me as we followed. We met John, a local, at the hotel and he explained we would be staying in his apartments. “Isn't the hotel a better place to stay?” I asked. “No, the hotel is filled with Syrians- Lots of young people all over the place- Not good place to stay”, John answered in his broken English. I took him at his word. John took us up an elevator that barely held all three of us to the 3rd floor to 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony from which I could hear the Mediterranean sea's surf. 'This is a dive!” Kath said anxiously as she killed a silverfish after John left. “A dive? Are you crazy, we have an apartment with an outdoor balcony on the Mediterranean for 5 days at 1/2 the cost!” I responded. We got a great night of sleep listening to the waves. After an enjoyable coffee time together and an overwhelming realization that we had landed 'a divine dive', we took a walk down to connect with John at the hotel. The lobby area was full of dark haired young, old, women, & men hanging out. John came and we had to step outside to even hear each other. 'I see this is why you put us in the quiet apartments.' I said. “Yes, no good here. Syrians here, 3, 4, 5 days, don't know..... No one will take them. They are Muslims running from the war.” I looked and saw a mass of people whose faces seemed to also ask, 'what are we doing here?' |