Day 02 - Sardis, Colossae

Jonathan:

Being able to come to Turkey has been a phenomenal experience for me. I have grown as a more cultured individual, as well as in my faith. This trip has given me many opportunities to learn and experience new things alongside like-minded individuals who I did not know very well prior to coming on the trip. There was something to appreciate about every site we went to. 

Personally, my favorite site we visited was Sardis. It was breathtaking in history, but also in the grandeur of the structures we could observe there. The massive gymnasium was the biggest we have seen. The entrance to the bathing area from the gymnasium was decorated with intricate friezes and statues to honor the gods and goddesses after competing in the games. I found it interesting how the gods were their main focus, even in oil wrestling. They did a great job at making sure honoring the gods was integrated into every part of their lives. The other, and even more impressive, part of Sardis was the Synagogue. Between the intricacy, size, and glory of the Synagogue mixed with the contrast being directly next to the gymnasium made this site stick in my mind. The Jewish and Roman cultures contradicted each other yet coexisted in the same city. I found it fascinating to learn about, and then critically think about the challenges that this might lead to. Sardis is an underrated, yet magnificent ancient site. 

There are various things that I will be taking away from the trip. I have learned a lot of facts and seen a lot of ancient ruins, but that stuff could be researched online. The piece I needed to go on the trip to receive is the feeling. I needed to feel where Philip martyred to truly understand the hardships of early Christians in my soul. I needed to feel where Paul walked into Ephesus to develop an understanding of the location of his missionary journeys. The fellowship, education, relaxation, and sheer awe are all precious, but the spiritual part of this trip came from physically being in the spot where all this history occurred and feeling it.