Our experience at our 1st Stop in Greece: The Baptismal sight of Lydia…
The goal of our trip to Greece was to follow the path of Paul on his 2nd Missionary Journey as best as we could. So, after our long flight from Arkansas into Athens, (culture shock!) we then took a northbound train all the way to the top of Greece. This would begin our official journey, starting in northern Greece (Macedonia) and traveling south along the path of Paul.
I absolutely love to follow different journeys in the Bible and try to see the chronological order. I want to walk it! I want to see it! I have to get it straight in my mind. “He started here at point #1, then he went there to point #2, then next he traveled over there to point #3″.
I desperately need map points to be like “connect-the-dots”. 1,2,3,4… and so on. That helps me put it all together. You would think that the map in the back of my Bible would help with Paul’s Missionary Journeys, but sadly it only seems to confuse me. All the squiggly colored lines. Lines overlapping. Lines that look out of control. They remind me of a child who became bored in church and started drawing in mom’s Bible.
I am so terribly directionally-challenged to begin with, that I cannot just willy-nilly skip around and then be expected to keep things straight in my mind. I have to actually map it out myself. I am the same way with reading the Bible. I like to read and study the Bible in the order that it’s written. You know, keep the books in order that they are arranged. For instance, the Old Testament books of History, Poetry, and then the Prophets. I don’t know why, but I honestly have trouble with the chronological Bible, which brings different scriptures together in order of the timeline. You would think I would love it! I love timelines. I need timelines in my life, but I can’t wrap my brain around the different order of scripture.
Or even worse for me is the 1-year Bible reading plans that give you an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, and a Psalm. Talk about really messing with me!
So, weirdly enough, the wonderfully provided Bible map of Paul’s multiple missionary Journeys (which I truly am grateful for the map, thank you) still only looks like the underneath of an unfinished quilt. Colored strings are going everywhere. Confusion overload. But, of course, that’s just me. I need the order of the books of the Bible to remain exactly as the books are placed. There is a very logical purpose why God organized it in that order, and so I need to stick to that. And I need to follow Paul’s wonderful “Route 66” trip across the country, exactly as he walked it. It makes more sense for me!
I am very simple-minded and can only follow one path at a time or I can easily get lost! (That applies going home from Walmart as well. Just saying!)
All that to say… I needed to follow Paul on his journey in the exact order so that I could keep it straight in my mind. It is extremely helpful! Plus, I could see and experience the progression of the land just as he did.
So, after our quick stop to see the port (Neapolis) where Paul actually entered upper Greece (Macedonia), and a short walk on the road that he traveled (Via Egnatia. See the previous post for more on that.), we drove to Paul’s first official stop in the new land.
Paul’s Missionary Journey in Greece was about to come alive!
The first city would be Philippi. We would eventually arrive in the city of Philippi, but first, a very important stop. A beautiful river in the countryside, just outside of town. Why stop there? Because that is where Paul’s ministry in Macedonia began. That is where he preached his first sermon.
This was the place that we read about in Acts 16 where Paul met a small prayer group of women. He shared the Gospel and one of the women, Lydia, became his first European convert to Christianity. She was a businesswoman, a seller of purple cloth, and would become Paul’s greatest supporter and a tremendous help in his ministry for many years to come. So, what might have seemed like a small or insignificant start to this big calling of Paul to go to Macedonia would prove to be a very effective and foundational, much-needed beginning. A good thing to keep in mind for anyone stepping out into a new season of ministry that God has called them.
This river (Zygaktis River, also known as Gangites River) is the beautiful baptismal sight of Lydia. And it was indeed absolutely gorgeous! It was not the usual tourist site full of the busyness of people, t-shirt vendors, or trinket sales. Just the sweet-flowing streams of waters, a thick green carpet of perfectly manicured grass, and the right amount of shade from the trees that gently canopied over the banks of the river. Quiet and peaceful. A place that calls you to sit and reflect. A place where you wish you had a blanket to spread on the ground and just spend the afternoon.
But we did not have a blanket or fried chicken or potato salad, so sadly, no picnic that day. But, with the time that we did have, we couldn’t wait to take our shoes off and dip our toes into the inviting, crystal clear river. First, though, I had to do a quick test to find out exactly the feel and temperature of the water. Because that’s what I do! I always “test” the waters before going in. Who’s with me? Call me what you want. I don’t care. All I know is that I was glad that I did test the water that day! The answer came loud and clear.
COLD!!!
I would better describe it more like ‘extremely cold’, perhaps more like ‘freezing cold’ since I am averse to all things cold! Well, that is, except ice cream or gelato. That kind of cold, I do love!
Since I am unapologetically a wimp, and I admit it (no shame here), I would have to take this little plunge into the baptismal waters with great caution and trepidation. Oh, I was definitely going in. That was not a question. I had to! I wanted to! I needed to experience the breathtakingly beautiful waters for myself. I just preferred to experience it without drastically lowering my body temperature to the point of icicles-hanging-off-the-eyelashes phase. Without it completely taking my breath away, where I cannot breathe like one of those crazy, “Are you out of your mind Polar Bear type plunge”! Nope! I ain’t doing it! Even when I am near waters that are not considered cold but simply cool or perhaps even lukewarm, I have never been a “cannonball-jump-into-the water-kind-of girl”.
So, I took it one little toe at a time. Slow and easy. Then, little by little, I was able to slowly step in all the way as each new area of my body gradually adjusted and stopped the loud screaming of, “help!” Oh… and by the way, when I say that I was going in “all the way“, I mean, water that went barely over my feet. Maybe just above my ankles. Not “ALL the way”! Did you think I meant ALL the way? Ha! No way! I’m sensible like that.
But once I finally gave it a little time, the water actually felt nice and refreshing to the heat of the hot August sun. Greece in the middle of the summer can get extreme, so just a little cooling off… of the feet… actually felt good and was enough.
This baptismal site is actually a place where people can be baptized if they want. It had a really nice seating area that overlooked the river, which looked like a mini amphitheater. It would be a perfect place for people to hold a small baptismal service or teach a lesson. We didn’t witness any baptisms that day, but we did see a couple of brave, or maybe crazy, (Crazy! They obviously didn’t test the water!) teenagers who jumped into the water to cool off. We heard their loud shouts of “crazy” when they entered the Arctic waters. I did not witness any of them going in a second time. Just saying!
We walked through the beautiful little church beside the river that is dedicated to Lydia and her conversion. The inside was absolutely gorgeous and peaceful, just as the grounds. The walls were lined with fresco paintings commemorating and telling the beautiful story of Lydia’s encounter with Paul.
Just inside the entrance on the floor were small tiles, a mosaic art piece mapping Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.
The area is located on an absolutely gorgeous and tranquil property, shaded with trees and greenery that run alongside the flowing baptismal waters of this beautiful little river. This was completely worth the short drive outside the city, especially on a hot day.
What a great way to start our journey!
BACKGROUND:
Paul entered the Roman colony of Philippi and began asking where he could find the Jewish synagogue. Paul’s plan was always to take the Gospel to the Jews first. However, there was no synagogue in Philippi. That means that there was very little Jewish influence or population in the city. The Jewish law required at least ten Jewish men to start a synagogue, so the city was mostly made up of Romans and Greeks.
However, in Paul’s inquiries, he was told about a small prayer gathering at the river just outside of town.
On the Sabbath, Paul went to the prayer gathering. He encountered a small number of women meeting together for prayer, but knew very little about the Gospel. They were, however, eager to learn. It was there that he taught them about salvation that only comes through Jesus the Messiah. And there by the river, Lydia becomes Paul’s first convert in Europe. She and her whole family were gloriously saved.
He baptized her in the river as well as her family, and she became a great friend and a long-time support for Paul and his ministry during his journeys ahead.
Lydia was a businesswoman, a seller of purple, and was probably very comfortable monetarily. She was able to take care of the financial needs of Paul and others later on. She also opened up her home and provided lodging for the travelers by inviting Paul and the others to stay with her. And most likely, she housed the early Philippi Church in her home.
What a blessing to the start of Paul’s journey!
As he continued on his way, he would have many difficult times ahead. But he could always look back to this moment, to this time and to what God had done on his very first stop. The encouraging relationship that was made with a very unlikely person at a very unlikely place. Just beside a river. Nothing huge. Just a simple and clear message by a simple and clear stream of water.
Streams of flowing water in that day were called “living waters” as opposed to stagnant water, or water in a well or cistern. How appropriate that God provided true “Living Water” to Lydia beside “living waters” of the river.
What a beautiful 1st stop for Paul and for us on our Journey in Greece!
