The Storm Before (and after) The Calm

Last post we spoke about the relativity that surrounds the concept of time. Today, we will continue touching on the subject, but in a slightly different way. We will focus on the distant past, and the (hopefully) near future.

I have decided to split the week of spiritual activities and events into two separate posts. One (this one) will detail the activities done surrounding the convention weekend, and the other will cover the convention itself and the things attached to it.

02. 07. 2019

Three Island Tour

The Tuesday before the convention welcomed us with the first of four activity days. Tuesday lead us to an early morning start (anything before 07:00 is early) and an exciting bus ride. This was our second experience of being on a bus full of our fellow brothers and sisters. (The first took place the day before as we travelled to the hotel from the airport.) This bus took us to our next form of transportation - a cruise ship. From the dock leading up to the vessel, we could see an innumerable number of our fellow believers just in front of us. The cruise, as the subheading mentions, brought us to three different islands - Aegina, Poros, and Hydra.

Aegina

The first of the three islands to be visited was Aegina. We were able to spend a reasonable amount of time on the island, both exploring and shopping. The island offered many intriguing stores, some suited for gifts while others gave the opportunity to buy a piece you will keep for many years to remember your travels to the island. As is true with all the islands we visited, Aegina's waterfront shopping and beaches were stunning. It became evident, in the moments spent peering out at the water, why this was such an attraction for travellers.

Poros

Poros was the island where we spent the least amount of time. Given the short time window that was given, we decided to stop at a local restaurant and indulged ourselves in the local desserts. While we chose to eat instead of venturing out, other options did exist. If you so wished to, you can walk up the famous stairs of Poros and view both the stupefying view and the historic clock!

Hydra

The last island that we all had the privilege of visiting was Hydra. This island had the most to offer, it had a very refined shopping strip as well as many eateries that rivalled the high standards of the stores. One thing that separated Hydra from the other islands is the banning of all motorized vehicles. (excluding the rubbish trucks) Hydra offers visitors the opportunity to ride donkeys on the island for various amounts of time. If you only had time to visit one island, my advice would be to visit this one. It has the most complete resume of them all.

03. 07. 2019

Field Ministry

Wednesday brought forth the most anticipated day of the trip for me. We had the privilege of working side by side with our brothers in the ministry. The brother with whom I was assigned to work with was named Giánnis, or John in English. He was an older brother who spoke very little, to no English. This, however, enhanced the experience, it did not dampen it. There is something special about sharing in the preaching work with someone who does not speak your language but is preaching the same message with the same zeal. The joy felt and expressed when no words are said, the joy that is caused by gestures and an unspoken language, are indescribable in verbalized communications.

Evening Gathering

In the evening, the same day as the field ministry, we headed for the evening gathering. I will break it down in chronological order.

15:00

The Arrival

We arrive on site to the assembly hall. The welcoming group, who were waiting for the arrival of the delegates, made their presence felt. Their hospitality and kindness were expressed in their facial expressions, their clapping + cheering, and their singing. The welcome did well to prepare our hearts for the night in store.

15:15

The Introduction

As we entered the assembly building, we were told to find seats and to watch the video program they had prepared. The video detailed the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Greece as well as the modern accomplishments taking place.

15:30 - 19:00

The Activities

After the conclusion of the video program, we headed outdoors for the festivities. The outdoor area was filled with various booths that offered delegates different experiences and memories. Caleb and Sophia welcomed you with a perfect photo opportunity. Just around the corner, you could try two different types of coffee, one was an iced coffee, while the other was a traditional Greek coffee. This coffee was heated on hot sand, and naturally, this is the one I opted to try. It was very smooth and pleasing. Just up the pathway was a booth that taught you the basics of the Greek language and how to spell your name and country using the Greek equivalent letters.

They also had an elevated dance area where live musicians played various renditions of the original songs! The helpers, who were assigned to this area, would pull the bystanders from the crowd and teach them the traditional dances. At one moment in time, the dance floor was filled with our brothers and sisters jumping up and down to the original songs. I do not believe I have seen something equal to its beauty!

19:01 - 22:00

The Performances

- The Orchestra -

This time was dedicated to the performance portion of the night. To begin, we were serenaded by a fantastic live orchestra. They played traditional Greek songs while being sure to give us the meaning behind the song before playing the piece.

- The Dancing -

Every inhabited island of Greece has its own special dance. The brothers and sisters prepared many of these dances for our entertainment. The footwork required to successfully perform these dances is something I will eternally admire. An hour into the entertainment, delegates who were willing, were invited to try out the traditional dance. Many, including myself, made their way to the open area reserved for the dancing! The dance takes on a circular shape (the group is joined together by placing your hands on the shoulder of the person to the left and right, the group is completed once you close the group into a circle) it moves in a circular motion, and while you are moving, you are required to do some footwork that involves a kick here and there. Needless to say, chaos ensued. The beautiful chaos of all of us trying our best whilst moving our quickest will forever be imprinted on my mind.

- The Play -

The play with which the friends put together focused on the life of the Apostle Paul and his ministry. They perfectly displayed the boldness that Paul preached with, even in the face of opposition. The brought to life the story of Lydia, and of course, she was wearing purple. They also showed us the story of Paul preaching to the jailer and saving his life. My favourite part of the play was the story of the Apostle preaching on Mars Hill. Here he spoke to the Athenians, with the Parthenon in sight, and told them that "the Divine Being (GOD) is (not) like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and design of humans". What boldness! It made the story come alive when I saw it in person- an invaluable experience.

04. 07. 2019

Athens Tour

The tour of Athens was a fully packed day, here's a microcosm.

The Acropolis was the first location visited. It was the castle and last defence system of ancient Greece. Here is housed the Parthenon as well as two other temples dedicated to gods. The amount of attention paid to detail is astonishing. One can not wrap their head around the skill and forethought with which it was built.

Next, we headed for the iconic Mars Hill. As I mentioned earlier, this was amongst the first locations where Paul shared Christianity in Athens. To stand where Paul had, and to see with your own eyes the false worship that surrounded him while he shared the truth, was humbling. You begin to realize the level of courage and boldness needed to preach a hard-hitting message and what you need to do to get there.

Lastly, we visited the Agora. Every ancient Grecian city would have had an Agora. It was the city centre where shopping was found, where legal and bureaucratic work was done, and where judicial decisions were made. The Agora was where you would meet your friends to hang out, it was where the home helpers were sent to gather the needed items. Once you walk through an ancient city, one thing becomes very apparent - they lived extremely well! Once again, understanding how they lived and seeing it with your own eyes makes it so real.

08. 07. 2019

Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth can be easily described by this title - City of Immorality. Their patron goddess was Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility. This led to many acts of worship which were disgraceful to the true and living God and caused many pains to the citizens. Since immorality was so intertwined with the worship, many people contracted all of the diseases associated with such a lifestyle.

We also were shown the "good part" of the Corinth story- Paul. After learning a brief version of the history of the Corinthians, it was evident why the Apostle kept reinstalling the need to flee from sexual immorality. He would use examples that could be understood by his listeners, this would allow them to see their mistakes and hopefully make the needed changes.

The judgement seat mentioned in Acts 18:12 was also found in ancient Corinth. While the exact location of the seat is unknown, but they have been able to narrow down the area to about a thirty feet by forty feet square. Seeing the judgement area as well as where the crowds may have gathered as they accused Paul made me put myself into the shoes of the Apostle. How would I react to such an event? Would I be ready? Then a simple thought answered both questions - with Jehovah, anything possible. Yes, if we put full reliance on our God, we will succeed.

02. 07. 2019