We learn with our feet.

“We learn with our feet.” That has been our mantra today, and I would imagine, will continue to be true of the rest of our trip. In every sense, learning with our feet has come more and more alive as we walk through the places most of us have only ever read about. We’re only one hike in, but we are all truly blessed to be here.

Yesterday’s travels were mostly uneventful, but have left us all yearning for more sleep. We’re on a bus ride back from Delphi heading to Athens as I’m writing, and the bus is completely silent as most of us catch a little nap.

Today, Rod and Libby lead us through Delphi up to the temple of Apollos. It’s hard to digest and share with you all everything that we’ve learned. From the historical context of the land and much of Paul’s writings to the understanding of what it meant to worship Apollos in ancient Greece, it’s much like drinking from a fire hose to soak it all in. Here’s one piece that has resonated with me today:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. // Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”

These verses out of 1 Corinthians hit me a lot today. Partially as I’ve been assigned to memorize them, and partially because of the reality of how true these words are as we learn more of this world. The gospel was foolishness to Ancient Greece because it was a world that sought only for the praise and glory of man. It’s only day one here, and I’m already seeing the way the Lord is using this trip to unveil the ways that I’ve lived ignorant of the gospel as I look to my own performance to mark my identity.

The good news of the gospel is this: Jesus has done the work perfectly and completely, because I never could, and so that I could rest in him. It truly is the power of God to accomplish that which we could never do.

It’s a reality that sinks in as we experience our own weakness while we learn with our feet and walk the miles, and begin to see the ways the gospel was very much good news in this world, the same that it is good news for us. Because the gospel sets us free, and that surely is good news.

Before signing off - pray with us that the Lord would continue to bond our team together, give us strength to fight off jet lag, and reveal more of what he has for us in this trip. Also pray for Erik’s luggage to make its way out of limbo quickly. His was the only luggage to get lost in translation amidst travels.

Thanks for following along with us, and for joining us in prayer as we learn with our feet.

-James