Day 01 - A Preface Before the Journey

Today was our first day on the ground for the Jordan & Israel Pastors Familiarization Tour. And fittingly, it was not yet Jordan, and not yet Israel.

It was a preface.

We began not in the land of promise, but in the city that once stood at the crossroads of empire, theology, and global Christianity. We walked the ancient streets of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, and before that, Byzantium. For nearly a thousand years, this city functioned as the beating heart of the Christian world, shaping doctrine, worship, and the Church’s understanding of itself.

We traced our steps through the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople, where political power and public life collided. We stood before an Egyptian obelisk over 3,500 years old, a reminder that history is layered, borrowed, and repurposed across empires. We stepped into the Blue Mosque, surrounded by the beauty, symmetry, and architecture.

But the weight of the day settled most heavily in the afternoon.

We entered Hagia Sophia (meaning "Holy Wisdom").

Here, history does not whisper. It speaks.

Within these walls, three of the seven ecumenical councils of the early Church were convened. Here, the Church wrestled with Scripture, heresy, and faithfulness. Here, the doctrine of the Trinity was clarified. Here, the Holy Spirit was affirmed as fully God, not a force, not a lesser power, but part of the very Godhead.

And it was here, in the fourth century, that John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), who was called Golden Mouth, preached the Word of God to both people and power.

Chrysostom was no court preacher. He was no chaplain of empire. He proclaimed Scripture verse by verse, expository and uncompromising. He confronted the clergy of his day for growing comfortable in luxury while ignoring the poor. He warned against confusing imperial favor with divine approval. He reminded the Church that devotion without obedience is hollow.

One of his most haunting lines still echoes across centuries:

“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.”

Another of his core convictions was this: “The Scriptures were not given to us that we might enclose them in books, but that we might engrave them upon our hearts.”

That kind of preaching came with consequences.

Chrysostom was exiled for confronting the empress. Faithfulness cost him position, comfort, and ultimately his life. And standing there today, a group of pastors was reminded that truth has always been costly.

Today was cold. We walked under gray skies. There was rain. Even a bit of snow. But something warmer has already begun to stir among us.

We have only been together a handful of hours. Most of that time has been spent traveling, walking, adjusting to time zones and terrain. And yet relationships are already forming. Hearts are already opening.

That is the quiet miracle of pilgrimage.

Our group consists of university pastors and professors, hospital and police chaplains, and lead pastors. Some are from dense urban centers and others from wide rural landscapes. Different contexts, different congregations, different callings, and yet one shared hunger: to make Christ known and to see Him formed in others.

There is something powerful that happens when people with a common heart journey together with Bible in hand. History sharpens calling. Geography awakens Scripture. And voices begin to find clarity.

Today, reminded us to keep the main thing the main thing. To keep the Word of God at the center. To remember that proclamation always carries weight, and sometimes consequence. To refuse comfort when faithfulness is required.

As we prepare to step into Jordan and Israel, may the same Spirit who emboldened John Chrysostom give us courage, clarity, and conviction. May we learn to speak truth with humility and boldness. And may the story of God continue to unfold as we step into history, finding our voice in our own generation.

Shalom,

Jerrell Jobe