MY EXPERIENCE IN BEREA

This was a cute, cozy little Greek town, off the beaten path. It had such a comfortable and welcoming feel of character. Winding, narrow cobble streets and down-to-earth, quaint people who were filled with hospitality, and living simple, quiet, beautiful lives.

The Bible called them people of “noble character“. We found that to indeed be true of the few Bereans that we were fortunate to meet. They were good people. Very kind and extremely welcoming. During our short time there, it felt as if we were just one of the townspeople, a neighbor living down the street. I wanted to wave to everyone and tell them, “I’ll be at your house later for dinner! I can’t wait to see what wonderful Greek food you will cook.” I’m sure they wouldn’t mind. I honestly feel like they would say, “Come on! Welcome to my home.”

One of the most memorable things in Berea for me was what was scattered throughout the town. Small ancient stone churches… hidden… obscure… Everywhere! I LOVED it! You could spot them between buildings, or behind buildings, attached to the old city wall, behind trees, around every corner, really… just any small space that one could be squeezed into. If you blinked, you would miss one, but not to worry. There would be another amazing little church just down the street. I was told that there were around 100 Byzantine churches in that small town. That is a ton for such a small, quaint place!

Hmmmm. I just wonder what or WHO influenced the rise of the church body so strongly there. Any ideas?

I absolutely LOVE old churches. Especially old stone churches. Such character. Such history. Such simple beauty. Maybe I am a little bit partial to old stone churches because I gave my heart and life to Jesus in a little stone church as a little girl. So, I suppose they grab my attention and hold a very special place in my heart.

When I see really old churches like those in Berea, I have to wonder what history took place there. Who were the people who attended? What did the women wear? What messages were preached? What Bible studies were taught? What secrets were whispered? Did they share veggies from their garden? Did they pray for each other’s burdens? Did the kids climb the stones and get on top of the building? Did they sweat in the intense heat of summer? Did anyone complain?

It would have been a blast to have a scavenger hunt. Find as many churches as possible and explore! I think that I would need at least a week. Some of the little churches were still occupied, but most were vacant and unoccupied. There was something so breathtaking to me about the beauty of these small, simple old churches and the possible stories that they could tell. They would make for absolutely beautiful pictures, but unfortunately, we did not have the time to stop. Boo!

So, I did my best to hang my head out the car window while we made our way down the curvy streets and rubberneck as much as I could. Pointing and exclaiming, as if anyone else cared, “There’s one! And another one! And another one! Wow! Look at that one!”

We made a “comfort stop” (if you know what I mean… a much nicer way to say a “bathroom break” or “pit stop” as we say in Arkansas) at a large, beautiful open-air restaurant with a huge deck that overlooked the beautiful countryside. A picture opportunity for sure. It would definitely be an amazing place for a church group to take a “comfort stop”, or, better yet, have lunch.  I could just imagine all of us sitting there, eating a yummy Greek Salad, talking about the amazing churches we’d spotted, and enjoying the green countryside together.

Can I just say… Greece is absolutely breathtaking!

The area around Berea is well-known for lush, locally grown fruits and fresh vegetables. So, we stopped at a little walk-up, open-door, family-owned sidewalk market on our way out of town. We visited with the owners, took a couple of pictures with them, and picked up a few delicious things to snack.  I couldn’t wait to bite into the perfectly ripe fruit that we bought. The peaches were… wow!!! So delicious and juicy! The kind of juicy that runs down your chin, and there is just “no stopping it”, kind of juicy! “Not enough napkins” kind of juicy! “Wished I had a clean shirt to put on” kind of juicy! 

In the middle of town, just down the street from that little family market, we found a statue of Paul. How about that? Paul’s visit to this little stop along the unbeaten path was short but not forgotten. His impact was powerful and forever remembered. The Gospel was brought, it was preached, and it was received.

The statue and plaque dedicated to Paul were just up a set of white marble steps, off of a narrow sidewalk that could have easily been passed by without a thought. An old, well-worn, vintage, rusty iron open gate on either side of the steps caught my eye. A quiet invitation to “come and see”. Very simple. Very unassuming. Locals and tourists pass by daily without notice. But, the very thing that intrigues me!

Up the marble steps and through the iron gate lived a beautiful, open-air, obscure white marble courtyard, complete with marble columns and a platform. Green manicured grass outlined and framed the courtyard. These are the kind of unexpected surprises that just blow me away. (I guess surprises are supposed to be unexpected, right?) But, one of the beauties of Greece and Italy, that I just can’t get over, is all the unsuspecting treasures that lie around hidden corners, or up forgotten steps, or behind rusted gates, or along unbeaten paths. You never know what you will find. It is an adventure always worth checking out and worth the extra time.

We were blessed to have the whole courtyard to ourselves. The marble columns, the statue of Paul, the little benches to sit on, and the beautiful marble floor. Serene, quiet, peaceful. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

I wanted to just spend the day with my Bible and read. Maybe take a nap. Dream about the time of Paul’s visit to Berea and what a blessing it must have been to him and to the people who lived there. Imagine how they loved him and how he loved them. Imagine what it would have been like to be there with the Apostle Paul and to witness his boldness and love of sharing the Gospel.

What an exciting time it must have been to be a part of the New Testament church growing in numbers daily. To experience revival throughout the nations. The thrill of following the call of God and seeing pages of the Bible being written as you travel history in real time.

But, of course, ministry always comes with its hardships. Suffering was a constant theme in the New Testament. Persecution always followed the steps of Paul and the Apostles and all who share the Gospel. So, of course, hardship, suffering, and persecution would quickly come and disrupt this well-needed time of rest and refreshing for Paul.

Fortunately for us, we were able to leave Berea happy and blessed. Our hearts were full with the warmth and richness of our short visit.