Day 01 - Antalya, Antalya Museum, Aspendos, Perga

Day 1 - Restoring Eyes to See

Day 1 in Türkiye was amazing!! Today our focus was restoring our eyes to see. We started our day in Antalya. We sat at a harbor in Antalya on stones facing the Mediterranean Sea where we were able to look back in the past to put ourselves in the shoes of Paul. Paul stood somewhere in that spot during his first missionary journey. Paul was a man who "had it all” according to Roman standards through being Roman, a Hebrew, a Pharisee, and a follower of Jesus. Paul had access to every aspect of the Torah but what we found out is he was blind until God opened his eyes.

After being at the Mediterranean Sea, we went to Antalya Museum. We were able to learn about lords and gods. Emperors were viewed as lords. They were a symbol of might and power in the world. The Roman Empire was full of gods and goddess. Everyone was religious. We were able to look upon different statues and understand the Roman culture. Romans believed in many gods and that emperors were physical representations of God. Imagine putting yourself in that context as a Christian and walking into Roman life.

Later, we made our way to Aspendos and Perga. Aspendos had a theater that seated 12,000 people. Theater was a form of entertainment used as an escape, propaganda, and worship. It symbolized the “good life” through tragedy and comedy by normalizing and desensitizing people to it. Ultimately, it can distract from God. In Perga, they lived the “good life.” They had a theater, water, security, a home, and shops. They were able to bathe and take care of themselves. We have a choice. There are two gates. We can enter the straight and narrow gate that is hard but rewarding in the end or find ourselves through the wide gate that is easy, provides instant gratification, and looks nice. Few will find the narrow gate but the reward is greater than the cost.

- Faith Wolverton