Building Faith in New Orleans:

A team from Minnesota is one of several church groups that have traveled to the Gulf Coast to do relief work.

Originally Published in the 19-JAN-2006 issue of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle
www.mcchronicle.com

After a 23 hour drive to Louisiana, the team of hurricane relief workers from Bridgewood Community Church in Blaine were looking to unwind. Before they had a chance to unpack, however, the volunteers from Minnesota were being shown pictures of the destruction in New Orleans’ 9th Ward.

The owner of the pictures, himself a volunteer from New Jersey, said “this place affects everyone that comes here to help.” As he flipped to a photograph of a house that had floated on top of a car, he said he wished someone had taken him aside when he’d first arrived and prepared him for the shock that was to come.

By “this place,” the New Jersey volunteer meant the dozens of square miles of devastation that is now most of New Orleans. For a group of Minnesotans accustomed to relatively contained disasters like tornadoes, it was a shock.

At first glance, it seemed little clean-up or repair had been done in New Orleans since the floodwaters were pumped out. All kinds of debris, including cars, boats, and appliances, were littered along roads throughout the city. Thousands of homes and businesses sat empty, large sections of Greater New Orleans still had no electricity, and parts of the city were waiting for a bulldozer.

Yet in the midst of this bleak, almost surreal landscape, volunteers for Christian relief agencies are making an impact. Not only are residents finding help starting the long process of renovating their homes, many shaken people are also renewing their faith or finding faith in Christ for the first time.

The team of 5 volunteers from Bridgewood had come to do relief work through Samaritan’s Purse, which has set up operations in Gretna, just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.

“The Mayor of Gretna invited us to come here,” explained Kyle Smith, the Samaritan’s Purse Volunteer Coordinator for the New Orleans relief effort. “He offered us the free use of their community center. Samaritan’s Purse expects to remain in New Orleans for at least another year.”

The agency is currently sharing space with staff and volunteers from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). The two groups are working together to minister to flood victims throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Volunteers have come from over 30 states and provinces to help. In addition to the relief workers from New Jersey, the team from Minnesota met people from Washington, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Indiana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Though the 5 relief workers had expected to clear fallen trees and repair roofs, they realized that the greater need in New Orleans is for teams to do “mudouts.” Jim Anbro, a pilot for Northwest Airlines and a member of the Minnesota group, said a mudout is a “fun way of talking about gutting a house down to the studs.” The goal of a mudout is to eliminate the mold that is flourishing in a flood-soaked building and let the frame of the house dry out.

Smith said that “when people return to their homes for the first time and see all their belongings ruined and covered by mold, they often feel hopeless and overwhelmed. After the home is gutted, the turnaround is startling. They can see some light and their gratitude just pours out, often with tears. Dozens and dozens of people here have become Christians. According to the Billy Graham Association, the total is over 1000, with more finding Christ everyday.”
One person who has seen his faith increase is Sergeant Don Harris of the New Orleans Police Department.

Harris was one of the six dozen or so officers trying to keep order among 30,000 people stranded in the Superdome in the days after Katrina plowed ashore. “We were an island,” he said of their predicament at the Superdome, “People were complaining to me that no one was doing anything for them, and I remember thinking that ‘I’m in the same situation you are. My house is probably flooded. My family doesn’t know if I’m even alive. I can’t call them, but I’m here trying to protect you and keep order.’ A lot of the officers were overwhelmed and quit, but I think the good Lord blessed me and made me stronger through it all.”

It was Harris’ turn to get some help. His house was the first dwelling that the Minnesota team gutted. The mold inside was so extensive that the relief workers wore gas masks. It took them 2 1/2 days to strip the house down to the 2x4s. When they were finished, an eight foot pile of furniture, appliances, clothes, household items, and soggy drywall covered the front yard and spilled into the street.

In New Orleans, Samaritan’s Purse is currently giving priority to police officers, “mudding out” their homes first. Members of the New Orleans Police Department (N.O.P.D), the Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff, and a few other departments are now either sleeping in their police precincts or on one of two contracted cruise ships anchored near downtown. All the officers are working 12 hour shifts and seeing their families every 2nd or 3rd weekend.

For the team of relief workers, Harris’ gratitude was one of the most rewarding aspects of the trip. He was deeply moved by the fact that people would come all the way from “cold” Minnesota to help someone they had never met before.

The team also gutted the house of N.O.P.D. officer Randi Gray, who was living on the same cruise ship as Harris. Gray’s six year-old daughter was staying with grandparents in Birmingham, Alabama.

While working on Harris’ and Gray’s homes, members of the group also talked to neighbors and even a few building inspectors. The volunteers saw people returning to their homes for the first time and walking around almost aimlessly, as if in a daze. The neighbors the relief workers met wanted to tell their stories about what they had experienced. They were open to receiving both prayer and a Bible.

Kevin, one of the BGEA staff members, said that “there are more people sharing Christ now in New Orleans at one time than ever before, and people are responding.”

Action Box

Samaritan’s Purse Web site: www.samaritanspurse.org/Volunteer_Index.asp. Phone: (828) 262-1980. Samaritan’s Purse continues to need volunteers. Construction experience is helpful but not necessary. They are looking for teams of 5-15 people. Besides New Orleans, the agency is working at three sites in Mississippi, one in Texas, and one in Florida.

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Web site: www.billygraham.org/RapidResponse_VolunteerInfo.asp. Phone: The BGEA is looking for chaplains, counselors, pastors, or ministry leaders to volunteer for their Rapid Response Teams. For the most part, these teams work alongside of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers.

Salvation Army Web site: www.uss.salvationarmy.org/uss/www_uss.nsf. The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for a variety of needs in the Gulf Coast region. They are ministering at both disaster and evacuee sites.

After the Fall of the Alamo:

Historic Hotels of San Antonio

They reference their history a little differently in San Antonio. It all started with an event that happened at a Spanish mission in 1836. After William Barrett Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and 186 others made their sacrificial stand, the fall of the Alamo became a marking point. The Shrine of Texas Liberty is not only the physical center of San Antonio, but the historical center as well. While that’s hardly a revelation, I was surprised at the extent of the association. It’s illegal to construct a building in San Antonio that casts a shadow over the Alamo. The old mission infuses the city with a living message that true freedom is not self-centered, like an inspirational letter you must go to San Antonio to read. While visiting the city, I’ve found that staying at a historic hotel is a great way to connect with San Antonio’s heroic and eclectic past. Dates in the city’s history are referenced in relation to the February 1836 battle. In other words, discovering your San Antonio hotel was built in 1853 is secondary to knowing it was constructed 17 years after the fall of the Alamo.

The Pilgrimage

For years the common and the famous (including one of the most famous people ever to use the word pilgrim, John Wayne) have made the journey to see the Shrine of Texas Liberty. As San Antonio grew, hotels were built to accommodate these travelers. There is a wealth of history bound up in the city’s historic hotel buildings. Each of these structures affords the opportunity to experience parts of the city in much the same way as the travelers of decades ago.

In a city rich in architecture, San Antonio’s historic hotel buildings are gems of the past. There are historic hotels in San Antonio, and there are historic buildings that have been transformed into hotels. An overlooked aspect of this former frontier town, San Antonio has preserved its old buildings while others in many cities have found the wrecking ball. There is a wealth of hotel buildings that were constructed within 90 years of the fall of the Alamo (or by 1926 if you're not keeping track). Here are four of my favorite historic San Antonio hotels.

The Menger

Twenty-three years after the fall of the Alamo, local businessman W.A. Menger opened a hotel across the street from the revered battleground. At the Menger (http://www.historicmenger.com/) you can gain a sense of San Antonio life in the 1800s. The hotel is filled with antiques purchased by Menger himself on trips to New York and Europe in the 1860s and 1870s. The original advertisement for the hotel stated that the owner “spares no pains to have his table and all the accommodations of his house, at least equal to any hotel in the West.”

The original section of the Menger was designed by John Fries, the same architect who led the reconstruction of the battle-damaged Alamo. Fries is credited with giving the Alamo rooftop its defining parapet silhouette. His plan for the Menger led to a fifty room, two-story hotel overlooking Alamo Plaza. If you stand in the plaza facing the hotel, the 1859 portion is on the right. The iron lace balconies evoke comparisons to New Orleans' French Quarter buildings.

The first time I traveled to San Antonio was to attend a conference at the Menger. I was thrilled when I found out that the hotel is across the street from the Alamo. When I arrived I became almost as excited about the Menger itself, a building that is a repository of history, with its accumulated stories and artifacts. One of the most repeated accounts is of the flamboyant Oscar Wilde strolling through the hotel’s tropical garden in 1882 “sipping spiked lemonade and smoking long, foreign cigarettes.” One can imagine the contrast the Irish playwright would have been to the cowboys of the Old West.

One of my favorite experiences at the Menger was sitting in that same tropical garden on a calm evening. I was working on a presentation for the conference I was attending, but I was also taking in the setting. It was late March and the temperature was about 75 degrees and there were no insects or humidity. It was one of the most peaceful scenes I’ve ever experienced. Apparently the garden was somewhat less tranquil in the past because alligators used to live in the courtyard's small pool. According to the story, the reptiles were given in partial payment for a large room bill.

Near the tropical garden is the Menger’s Colonial Room Restaurant. Open continuously since 1859, the classical restaurant has witnessed several famous diners, including Presidents Grant and McKinley, and General Robert E. Lee.

In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt, along with gilded age empire builders like Cornelius Vanderbilt, came to the Menger to organize the first U.S Volunteer Cavalry or the “Rough Riders” as they were known. This was the regiment Roosevelt led on the famous charge up Cuba’s San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American war.

The Menger also has connections to another famous monument. The sculptor of Mount Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum, frequented the Menger and kept his studios at the hotel for several years. One could speculate that Roosevelt’s association with the Menger influenced Borglum’s decision to make the famous “Rough Rider” the fourth face on the granite monument.

The Menger is like a live oak, a tree that never stops growing. Almost immediately after the hotel was finished, it was expanded. After that the Menger grew again in 1881, 1887, 1899, 1912, 1949-1950, 1953, 1966-67, and 1988. Today the Menger has 350 rooms and suites. The building now encloses two courtyards, one is the tropical garden and the other is an outdoor swimming pool. The original lobby has been restored to its Victorian era appearance. The Menger is the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi. It is a rambling, elegant building that faces both the past and the present, with the Alamo on one side and a shopping mall on the other.

La Mansion

Sixteen years after the fall of the Alamo, four teaching monks of the Society of Mary founded a school on the banks of the San Antonio River. The original meeting place of St. Mary’s Institute was the second floor of a livery stable on San Antonio’s military plaza. By 1853, a European-style limestone building was constructed along the river on a section of what would become the Riverwalk. Over the next 50 years, the building was expanded as the school grew. St. Mary's Institute became St. Mary's College, which in turn became St. Mary's University.

In 1966, the school moved to another campus. An alumnus of St. Mary’s Law School bought the original property and expanded the structure to the San Antonio River bank. The hotel opened for San Antonio’s World’s Fair, the Hemisfair, in 1968. True to its name, La Mansion del Rio Hotel (http://www.lamansion.com/) has the look of a Spanish Colonial Mansion. The hotel was expanded in 1979 and again in 1986 to the current 337 rooms. Situated on a relatively quiet stretch of the Riverwalk, La Mansion is also one of the more expensive hotels in the downtown area, but with its tiled floors, courtyards and sweeping arches, you can have the experience of staying at a colonial plantation house.

The St. Anthony

Seventy-three years after the fall of the Alamo, two cattlemen opened a hotel across from Travis Park, named for the Alamo’s commander. The hotel has been in constant operation since 1909. The owners named the hotel after St. Anthony de Padua, the patron saint of San Antonio. It was the first hotel in the country to be completely and continuously air-conditioned. Like the Menger, the St. Anthony (www.wyndhamsanantoniohotels.com/stanthony) has received several additions and renovations throughout its history. However, unlike the Menger, the St. Anthony was built up more than out. The hotel is 10 stories tall with 402 rooms and suites and is a combination of art deco flair and French Empire style. After its opening, the St. Anthony was compared to the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

One of the most notable aspects of the hotel is the lobby, which is known as Peacock Alley. True to its name, many people of note have strutted through the elaborate hall with its eight foot chandeliers, French Empire furniture, and Remington paintings. Eleanor Roosevelt stayed at the St. Anthony, as did President Eisenhower, General Douglas McArthur, World War II hero Aude Murphy, and Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco. Several actors and actresses from the “Golden Era” of Hollywood also walked through Peacock Alley on their way to their rooms, including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Gregory Peck, Rock Hudson, and John Wayne. You can now stay at the John Wayne Suite for about $250 a night.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the St. Anthony a couple years ago. True to our value-seeking style, we ended up in a huge guest suite that cost less than one-hundred dollars a night. Looking around the room as we first walked in, my wife, Trish, commented “we can have our own conference in here.” The room, filled with mahogany furniture, was the size of a small house. It also overlooked the rooftop pool (which is on a lower section of the multi-tiered roof). A relaxing summer's night swim in the pool, overlooking the lights of downtown San Antonio, was the perfect way to top off our trip.

The Emily Morgan

Ninety years after the fall of the Alamo, a building that is considered one of the top ten achievements in American architecture was built. Constructed as the Medical Arts Building, the structure housed doctor’s offices and a small hospital for five decades. In 1976, the building was converted to commercial office space and renamed the Landmark Center. Nine years later, in 1985, the Gothic Revival, triangular-shaped building was converted to a hotel. Emily Morgan, the hotel’s namesake, was known as the Yellow Rose of Texas. She became famous for her role in aiding the Texas army in the battles immediately following the Alamo.

I include the Emily Morgan Hotel (http://www.emilymorganhotel.com/) primarily because it is such an impressive building. It grabbed my attention as my wife and I were walking from the St. Anthony to the Alamo. The thirteen story building stands out in the low sky line of San Antonio. The Gothic architecture of the Emily Morgan includes terra cotta gargoyles that ring the building on the ground level. The architect had a sense of humor. Varying from the conventional pattern for gargoyles, these sculpted creatures are afflicted with various medical ailments from toothaches to broken arms.

The Emily Morgan has been extensively renovated in the last few years to make the interior as striking as the exterior. The recent rise in the price of its 177 rooms is reflective of all the changes. Like the Menger, the Emily Morgan Hotel is across the street from the Alamo.

Beyond the Checklist

San Antonio is a city worth returning to again and again for the experience, not just another travel destination to be checked off the list. I would recommend staying at a different historic hotel each time you visit. Visit the Riverwalk at night, read Colonel Travis’ letter “to all Americans in the world,” stroll through the gardens of the Menger, and swim in the St. Anthony’s rooftop pool (as a hotel guest of course). I’ve never had to rent a car in San Antonio. You’ll always be within walking distance of any place downtown.

Sidebar

Other Historic San Antonio Hotels

· Crockett Hotel www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/satch?irs=null Built in 1909, the Crockett was constructed on part of the original Alamo battleground. Davy Crockett helped defend the land that is now the southeast palisade of the hotel.

· Gunter Hotel (http://www.gunterhotel.com/). Also dating to 1909, the Gunter is similar in style to the St. Anthony.

· Fairmount Hotel (www.wyndhamsanantoniohotels.com/fairmount) Constructed in 1906, and moved adjacent to the Riverwalk in 1985, the Fairmount is the largest building ever to be moved.

· Drury Inn and Suites Riverwalk (http://www.druryhotels.com/properties/%20sanantonio%20riverwalk.cfm): Also along the Riverwalk. The building dates to 1924 and was recently converted to a hotel.

The Peace of Patmos

It was like watching a split screen. There was a choice between images of a chaotic mass of people flooding the streets of Athens, or the sun-sparkled, steel-blue water of the Aegean Sea. Our vantage point that day--the first day of the Iraq War--was a seaside restaurant on the Greek island of Patmos. One half of the view was a television showing a turbulent, anti-war demonstration in the Greek capital city, the other half was a window revealing a sheltered harbor ringed with colorful boats and whitewashed buildings. The contrast between the experience of Patmos and the knowledge that our port of call the next day was Athens, made for a feeling of tranquility with a twist. Somehow, suspended between the protests of Europe and the bombing of Baghdad, we were also caught in time between ancient prophecies and rumors of war.

That is the essence of Patmos. The island has a history of being a quiet place where people learn of tumultuous events. The last, most vividly descriptive book of the Bible, the prophetic book of Revelation, was written there when Patmos was an isolated Roman outpost. That Apocalyptic legacy has shaped the history of Patmos, a place now known as the “holy island of the Aegean.”

Patmos was the last stop on our trip, a cruise around the Aegean Sea. We had come to see Greek and Turkish historic sites and cities we had desired to visit for a long time. Yet until we left the United States, because of the threat of impending war, it was uncertain whether a trip to a region so close to Iraq would be safe. Our tour, however, was coordinated by Educational Opportunities (http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/), a group having 30 years experience leading international archaeological and historical tours in places like Turkey and Israel. We let them make the call on issues of travel security. By the time the invasion of Iraq was imminent, we were leaving Turkish soil for Patmos.

Whitewashed Buildings

The most picturesque place we visited on our cruise, Patmos was also the most relaxing. The Greek Islands are famous for their whitewashed buildings, dwellings that shelter their residents from the withering Mediterranean summer heat. But Patmos is pleasant during the early spring. The abundance of white structures was striking to see and photograph, but there was no need for protection from the sun. In fact, we relished its warmth. After experiencing unseasonably cold weather during much of our trip, the temperature on Patmos was in the high 60s.

South Island

Patmos divides easily into two sections: North Island and South Island. These halves are joined by the narrow isthmus at the harbor of Skala. Though the North Island contains several beaches, the South Island is the primary draw for most visitors, including my wife, Trish, and I. Like many travelers to Patmos, we didn't see the North Island at all. Like Patmos in general, The South Island is a small area and best seen on foot. The narrow streets of Skala and Chora, the island's two main towns, are easily covered in a self-guided walking tour.

Since the 11th century, this region of Patmos has been administered by St. John's Monastery. The Greek Parliament has also designated Patmos a sacred island. Not surprisingly, it is the antithesis of such Greek party islands as Mykonos. Though there are several beautiful beaches on Patmos, the dress and behavior of the islanders (and visitors) is generally more modest. As one travel website states, “you don't come to Patmos for all-day beach parties and banana boat rides” (www.greek-islands.eu.com/patmos.html).

Patmos receives several thousand visitors each year, but it is rarely crowded. The island has not yet been “discovered” in the travel sense of the word. In fact, the only large group we saw on the island was from our own tour. Patmos is not equipped to accommodate today's gigantic cruise ships. Even our relatively small vessel, the Triton (with 700 people), was not able to navigate the shallow harbor of Skala. Tenders taxied everyone to shore and back.

Skala

The port town of Skala is just like I pictured a Greek island cityscape, with two-story whitewashed buildings that seemed to flow down the hill, abruptly stopping at the water's edge. Skala is the main port of arrival on Patmos. Many of the island's shops are clustered around the harbor. You can find everything from t-shirts to jewelry to hand painted Greek Orthodox icons. Contrary to conventional wisdom, you want to bring cash to Patmos. Many of the shops and restaurants are not equipped to accept credit or debit cards. In fact, the store proprietors on Patmos are rather laid back and the prices are set, which was a surprise after several days of haggling with very aggressive and persistent shopkeepers in Turkey.

One of the most relaxing moments of our trip was walking along the harbor and exploring Skala. The main street of Skala extends along the waterfront, and, in the Greek tradition of Promenade, is an excellent place for a stroll.

Chora

The city on a hill you see from the harbor is Chora, the ancient administrative and spiritual center of Patmos. Looking up at Chora from the harbor is an impressive sight. The island's terraced hillside creates a verdant visual staircase that walks your eyes up to a town that, through the haze, looks almost like a medieval illusion. If you're part of a tour, you'll probably take a bus from Skala to Chora; however, I would recommend walking the ancient flagstone road up to Chora if you have the time. Trish and I walked only a section of it, and given another opportunity, I would walk the entire distance.

By itself, a walk through the cobblestone streets of Chora makes a trip to Patmos worthwhile. One of the most well-preserved centers of Byzantine architecture in the world, the town has several courtyards and mansions open to the public. Over the centuries, many a wealthy ship captain built a house in Chora. The Simantiris Mansion, built in 1625, has furniture dating to the 1700s and paintings from the 1500s. The city is also packed with small churches. The locals say Chora has a church for every day of the year.

Monastery of St. John

Chora's ring of whitewashed buildings surrounds the Monastery of St. John, the most commanding sight on the island. The monks who reside there claim it is the oldest continuously functioning monastery in the world, being founded in 1088 by Horius Christodoulos in honor of the Apostle John. Appearing more like a medieval castle than a monastery, St. John's was fortified during the Middle Ages to protect the islanders from numerous pirate raids. The compound was considered unconquerable. You can see the spots atop the wall from which boiling oil and molten lead was poured on unfortunate invaders.

The main courtyard, with its arched doorways and ancient frescoes, looks like the inner sanctuary of a fortress. The doors to the monks’ cells are visible from here as is the bell tower. A walk up the stairs to the bell tower also provides a great view of Skala's port and isthmus below. On a clear day, the Turkish mainland and the Greek isles of Ikaria and Samos are visible in the distance.

The monastery houses a wealth of Greek Orthodox art, manuscripts, artifacts, and history. Its collection is exceeded only by the monastic state of Mount Athos in Northern Greece. The museum of St. John's holds only a small portion of the monastery's historical treasures. We saw handwritten manuscripts from the 13th century that were perfectly preserved and even older icons and frescoes. An icon is a painting or inlaid tile portrait of a revered person(s) who is depicted with a halo around his/her head, usually with a more somber expression. A fresco depicts a significant event. It is a mural that is painted on plaster. We saw quite a few icons and frescoes during our trip, but some of the finest were at St. John's Monastery, many dating from the 13th century.

Cave of the Apocalypse

The other major draw of the island points to the reason why the monastery was built in the first place. The Cave of the Apocalypse is where St. John is reputed to have written the last book of the Bible. Once opening up to the hillside and overlooking the Aegean, the cave was built over in the 11th century and became the Monastery of the Apocalypse. Though much speculation exists over whether St. John actually lived in the cave or used the rocky handhold and headrest that are now marked in silver, there is much greater agreement that he wrote the Apocalypse somewhere on Patmos. Some islanders say that John used the geographic features of Patmos to give concrete terms to the prophecy he received. Regardless of the truth about the traditions of the cave and the inspiration of the island's landscape, it is likely that John explored the entire island, including the cave we visited. In his own words, the Apostle tells us that his exile was not an easy experience: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:9).” The presence on Patmos of the legacy of the Apocalypse was almost palpable.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

Our tour guide, Rita, was a Swiss Reformed Christian who moved to Patmos when she married a Greek Orthodox native of the island. She is like most of the island's residents, who earn their living from tourism. She felt led to pray after we had finished seeing the monastery and the cave. The Bible speaks of “wars and rumors of wars” being a sign of the “last days.” Being on the island where the most famous “last days” prophecy was written, hearing of the first of a war and rumors about that war led to some serious reflection. She talked about her own spiritual journey, and her honest prayer was worth remembering: “Lord, I do not agree with this war. But maybe, on this island where the Revelation of the end of the world was written, you are trying to tell us something today. If some part of your purpose is being accomplished by this war then I pray you would show us what it is O Lord. We don't always understand your purposes Lord.”

Sidebar

Location

Patmos is the northernmost island of the Dodecanese (Greek for “twelve islands”) chain of the Southeast Aegean Sea, a group that includes Rhodes, the administrative capital of the region. “The holy island of the Aegean” is approximately 180 miles from Athens, but only 60 miles from Turkey.

History

Patmos has little notable history before about 93 AD. That was the year the Apostle John was exiled to the island by the Roman Emperor Domitian. John remained on Patmos until the death of Domitian three years later. It was during this period that John wrote the Apocalypse, the biblical Book of Revelation. The Greek Orthodox Church dates the writing to 95 AD, and celebrated the 1900 year anniversary of the last book of the Bible in 1995.

After the fall of Rome, the population of Patmos fluctuated until the 11th century, when St. John’s Monastery was established. Since that time the island has been continuously inhabited. Patmos was one of the last areas of modern Greece to return to Greek control. Since the writing of the Revelation, the control of Patmos changed hands from the Roman Empire, to the Byzantine Empire, to the city of Venice, to the Ottoman Empire, to Italy, to Germany, to Britain, and finally to Greek rule in 1947. In 1981, the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a “sacred island.”

Revelations

The NBC series starring Bill Pullman is partially set in and around Patmos. Pullman’s character is a religious skeptic who becomes involved in events of end times phenomena.

Getting There

Patmos has no airport and must be reached by boat. The most convenient access is by taking a connecting flight from Athens or Thessaloniki to the nearby islands of Samos, Kos, or Leros (http://www.gogreece.about.com/od/domesticairlines), and from there taking a ferry to Patmos (http://www.ferries.gr/). Greece is vigilant about keeping its islands connected to the mainland and runs an extensive ferry service. There are also boats that run from Athens to Patmos via other islands. This route is less expensive, but is a 10-12 hour journey.

Restaurants and Accommodations

Most of the island's dining is centered in Skala and Chora. There are plenty of opportunities to eat gyros and souvlaki, as well as various types of seafood, including squid and octopus. Prices vary widely as well. As with the local shops, not all restaurants accept credit cards.
Most of the hotels and domatia (rooms for rent) are centered around Skala. There are few options in Chora, especially around Easter, when the island is the most crowded. For information on both dining and lodging visit www.greek-islands.eu.com/patmos/html.

Educational Opportunities

Founded in 1974, the company leads tours to places of significance in Christian history. Their Journeys of Paul tour (which we went on) is currently conducted twice a year, in March and November. The cruise ship tour visits New Testament sites around the Aegean Sea related to the lives of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John, including the extensive ruins at Ephesus in Turkey, generally considered one of the top two or three archaeological sites in the world. For more information visit http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/.

Striking at the Root

Originally published on 9/30/2001 as a letter to the editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

The pacifistic objector who wrote asking if people are willing to die for this cause, stemming from our collective fear and anger misses the core of the issue in the fight against terrorism. People are already dying. Americans have been dying for more than eight years at the hands of Osama bin Laden and his network. Proponents of terror are waging an escalating war. Those who would call for pacifism must ask themselves if they are willing to passively die in the next attack.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "For every thousand people whacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root." Since the first World Trade Center attack in 1993 we have whacked at the leaves of terror. Terrorists, and the countries that harbor them, threaten the stability of civilization. All we have to do is look to the punitive regimes of Sudan and Afghanistan--countries that have harbored bin Laden--to see what kind of world that terrorists envision. In that world, people who disagree with those in power are imprisoned, tortured, sold into slavery, and killed.

We have a choice to make. We can stand united in courage or divided in fear. We must use every means at our disposal to uproot terrorism at the source.

Chad Gibson

Centerville