July 25: Ancient City, Timeless Words
Fortified by a delicious dinner the night before, I headed east today to the ancient city of Philippi in northern Greece. I’m not typically much of a history buff, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to stroll through the ruins of the city whose inhabitants the apostle Paul wrote to over 2000 years ago.
After getting unpacked in Veroia last night I strolled the cobblestone streets past brightly colored stucco, brick, and stone homes to Ap’ Allou, a charming restaurant that offered up mediterranean food at several covered outside tables with a view of Old Town.
As it was raining and no one else apparently wanted to venture out for dinner, the chef offered to customize a meal for me. What a treat!
He started me off with several tasty rolls of homemade bread served with a humus dip and a delightful yogurt and sour cream mixture then followed that with some deep-fried zucchini balls accompanied by a tzatziki sauce. Next up was a flavorful filet of veal cooked a perfect medium rare and covered in a savory peppercorn sauce with mixed grilled vegetables on the side.
I was quite sure that I was done eating for the evening, but the chef explained to me he had been creating meals for 28 years and had learned that we have separate stomachs for dessert. When I bit into the crispy meringue pastry covered with berry jam and whipped cream, I decided I couldn’t agree with him more.
In good spirits the next morning, I headed east on backroads towards the ancient city of Philippi. After crossing a narrow rickety wooden bridge over a river and transversing down small roads with more gravel and dirt than pavement and a limited field of vision, I decided to switch to larger roads with more views of the Aegean Sea.
Arriving at Philippi, I paid admission to the archeological site and wandered through the ruins on a self-guided tour.
For me, the most significant aspect of my visit was the opportunity to place myself in the shoes of the Philippians that Paul wrote to so long ago. Although the apostle is credited with writing several books in the Bible, his letter to the Philippians is one of my favorites.
Two sections of this message have been especially helpful to me over the years as I have struggled with anxiety and learning to focus on the positive.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I appreciate these first words of advice as they give me action steps for when I am feeling fearful.
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This second portion of scripture has been meaningful to me as I have learned to focus on what I have to be grateful for and how I can use what I have experienced to encourage others.
Walking past the ancient city’s theater and forum, I pondered what life was like for the Philippians and how they reacted to Paul’s letter. Approaching the dark cave where some scholars believe Paul was at one time imprisoned, I wondered I how would respond to being placed in a similar situation. Peering at the mosaic flooring of the first church dedicated to Paul, I reflected on the fact that his words, while written so many years ago, still provide meaning to us today.
After an inspiring visit, I headed down the mountain on Adventure Baby to the seaside city of Kavala, where I am looking forward to spending the evening.
