Day 03 - Asclepeion, Pergamum, Thyatira

Day three started with Marty's devotional, which has quickly become our routine. By now, it is evident that this message sets the tone for the day. More about that later.

Leaving the devotional, we piled onto the bus and headed to our first stop, Pergamum. Quite unexpectedly, we were greeted by a first-century tour guide named Gaius. With great enthusiasm, he approached us and offered to show us around the Asclepieion (think medical center), the largest in the world at that time. Our group slipped quickly into the role of first-century believers who had just moved to Pergamum. I'll spare you the details of what happens next and our dismal performance, but it quickly became apparent that some of us in the group, myself included, hadn't quite grasped the lesson of day 1, "the medium is the message." Others in the group wisely chose to stay quiet. When they return, you can probably hear more details from your friends and family. I will say that some of us in the group tried to share our faith with Gaius in the same way we usually do in our world - information. Fortunately for us, Marty stepped in to stop our awkward performance and reminded us of the lesson from day one - the world already has what we're offering, so how are we different? 

Back to now and the Asclepieion. I'm excited about this site, especially with my medical background. It was amazing to imagine how this place might have functioned in the past. Walking through the tunnel and experiencing the acoustics, like the sound of rushing water, which they understood to be the sound of Asclepius' voice, was truly fascinating. During our exploration, we learned about the three groups of people that the Asclepieion would not care for and how bringing them into the community would have been the medium of the message. This got us thinking about how to apply this principle to marginalized groups in our society. 

While we continued exploring Pergamum after leaving the Asclepieion, we took some time to visit the altar of Zeus and Caesar's temple, which was constructed on vaults. While we were appreciating the architecture, Marty pointed out some distressed stones visible through a hole in the wall. It was amazing to think about the attention given to rocks that nobody was supposed to see. This led Marty to discuss the importance of caring for aspects of our lives that others may not notice. Once again, this made us realize that the proof is not in our arguments; it's how we live our lives that truly matter.

As we contemplate all the amazing things we have seen today and all the knowledge we are aquiring, the bus ride gives time to reflect back on Marty's morning devotional from Teresa of Avila:

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion in this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes; you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion in this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours."

Are others seeing Christ in us, or do they only hear our arguments?

Before I wrap up, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our incredible Turkish team, led by our guide, Gokan. Gokan's guidance and warmth have genuinely inspired me to experience the true meaning of walking the journey together with hospitality. Sagol, Gokan.

- Clarine N.