Patmos

2500 people live in Patmos. It is pretty rocky. I wonder how it would be to live there. How many of the people growing up there leave? I imagine with the cruise ships coming it could be fun for to be a teenager there.

The cruise ship offered an excursion for 49 euros to see the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse. I saw it all for 10.50 euro.

I was determined to walk to the monastery, but discovered a bus for 1.50 euro. The further up the hill the bus went the more I realized I would have been passed out somewhere along the way if I had tried to walk. It was at the top! The monastery was founded in 1088. Again, think of the people who have lived an walked there throughout the ages.

The monastery was pretty cool. It was built 900 years ago. Throughout the ages, monks have been attracted to come there. It had a museum that had a lot of artifacts. There were books, manuscripts, mosaics, icons, textiles, and jewelry. There was a really cool crown with precious stones created for one of the church patriarchs. There were some cool crosses and some were made of wood. There were some cool paintings of the Archangel Michael. Some of the books dated back to the 6th Century!!! One of the pieces of jewelry was a chest cross donated by Catherine II, Empress of Russia.

The Cave, also called St. John's Grotto was pretty intense for me. They have a spot marked where he is believed to have slept. Another where he prayed. There is also the crack in the rock made by the voice of God. I sat in there for a while. There was a mean faced monk who kept mean mugging me and coughing. I may have overstayed my welcome with him. LOL! In the museum, there was a nice monk who talked with me about some of the artifacts.

John was pretty old when he died. I heard 90, but I'm not sure if that is true. Keep in mind that most people lived to be 45-50. He was banished to Patmos in 95 AD. He stayed there for two years. It was here that he heard a voice like a trumpet commanding him to write a book to send to the seven churches. Tradition tells that he wrote it in the cave I visited.

There are times when I think of the Bible, and I'm like really. Then there are times when I am acutely aware of my beliefs. I am acutely aware of how important and sacred they are to me. Going to that cave symbolizes a lot to me. It meant a lot. It reinforced my belief that I need to go to Israel and soon.

There was a group of Korean tourists who came when I was there. I was watching them and they keep touching things and praying. I kept marveling about how many people I have met this trip who share my faith. It's actually pretty cool to see.

I was waiting for four o' clock tea the day before the Ephesus/Patmos calls, and there was a group doing Bible Study there in preparation for their trip to Ephesus. The leader was talking about Paul. They sang hymnals afterward. I felt honored to have witnessed that.

It's actually refreshing to be in a country where people respect religion, and I mean relationship with God. There are somethings that are sacred and should be treated with respect.