Patmos - Amazing!!
Thursday May 18,2023
The Lord provided an absolutely beautiful day for us in Patmos! We woke to clear blue sky, light breeze, and 70 degrees. No cruise ships docking here today, so it felt like we had the island to ourselves.
The quaint white stuccoed houses and chapels, pretty little shops, and beautiful ocean views make it too easy to forget that this was not a pleasure stay for the Apostle John. He was sentenced to exile here by Emperor Domitian - a Roman practice often used in dealing with political prisoners. (Rev 1:9) Christianity was a threat to the Greco Roman culture and adoration of the Emperor and it was an attempt to shut John up - which failed. So John was exiled here without the cute houses, the restaurants, the electric scooters, the nice fishing boats and paved roads - it was a banishment. But the Lord used this time of banishment for his purpose and gave John a vision that is the book of Revelation. It’s a difficult book in many ways, but at its core it is an encouragement to remain firm our confidence that Christ (and therefore we) are victorious.
We started the day with a visit to the monastery of St John the Theologian. The monastery was started in the 11th century AD, but Christians had been memorializing John’s presence here and his vision since the the early 4th century AD. In the pictures you will see some of the artwork in the courtyard of the chapel.
Down the hill from the monastery - which is still a functioning monastery today - is the grotto of St John, or cave of the apocalypse. Tradition holds that this was the place where John received his vision. It is a site of Christian pilgrimage considered sacred. There are features of the cave such as a place identified as where he rested, above which is little niche he could have used to help himself up from the floor, a ledge for scroll/ papers. It is a quiet place for prayer now. Our leader held our Bible study just outside the cave under the trees.
Near the monastery there are three beautiful old windmills from the mid 1500s used to grind flour. They are well preserved and look beautiful on the hillside.
We’ve included pictures of the community of Chora that surrounds the monastery.
This felt like such a special day and much less hectic. Craig had fun droning today and it was very successful - very thankful!!!
We leave by boat tonight at midnight and will spend our final two days in Athens and Corinth.
Missing all of you and getting excited to come home!
The Grotto of St John, or Cave of the Apocalypse
