Ron and I spent
three nights on the Greek island of Patmos. In 95 AD, the
apostle John was exiled to the island, where he lived for
eighteen months. Getting there requires a boat ride from one
of the nearby islands. Our captain was a Greek Orthodox priest,
dressed in his robes.
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Approaching
the island, we could already see the Monastery of St. John the
Beloved at the top of the mountain. It's been in constant operation
for more than 900 years. |
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This is
the village of Hora, where our boat docks. |
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Here we
are at the top. |
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Before
visiting the Holy Grotto of the Revelation, where John is believed
to have lived, we shared breakfast and read some of the Book of
Revelation, which John wrote while in the cave. |
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This is
the entrance to the cave. A Greek Orthodox monk inside spends
the day telling visitors how John came to the island and found
negativity and misery, and then proceeded to transform the place
through the “grace of God” and a positive perspective.
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Sitting
there inside that dark moist cave - soft sunlight and a breath
of sea breeze streaming through a small carved-out window, complete
stillness, a lingering spirit - the experience was profound. |
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Eventually,
we went outside and sat in the pine glen that overlooks the harbor.
We couldn’t speak for a long while. We were in that cushion.
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Afterwards,
we ate lunch in a typical Greek cafe, still on top of the mountain. |
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Our favorite
of John's views. |
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Bye, Patmos.
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