pat loughery

Day 6: October 25, 2008

Halfway through the trip was a high point for me.

On the bus on the way to Ephesus, Father Varlaam (one of the Romanian priests with us) spoke to us about early church history. He spoke of Ephesus in its context as one of the critical cities in early Christian history. We heard of Ephesians as one of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation, and about its cultural importance in its day.

The city was a seaport, which brought a wealth of commerce and ideas. The Temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) that was built here was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Ephesus acted as the endpoint of the Silk Road trade route between the Mediterranean and China.

The city was partly destroyed by earthquake in 613 AD, and as the nearby river brought silt into the harbor area the harbor gradually filled in and became unusable for shipping. As the harbor died, so did the city.

By historical tradition, Jesus’ disciple John brought Jesus’ mother Mary to this city after the fall of Jerusalem. Paul visited this city as documented in Acts 18 and in his subsequent letter to the Ephesian church. He suffered greatly at the hands of the cult of Artemis from Ephesus. The archaeological remains of a home on the mountain overlooking the city have been discovered and are assumed to be Mary’s home.

The third ecumenical council met in the year 431 at the church named Mary’s Church. This council was convened to make a proclamation about Arianism, a debated Christian doctrine that claimed that Jesus was part of God’s created order, and therefore was not eternal. Mary’s Church still exists in this city, though it is currently in ruins.

Saturday was the day that I was honored to walk the streets – the same very stones! – That St. Paul, John the Beloved, and Mary the Bearer of God walked. The more I reflect on this fact, the more deeply profound I find this day.

Our guide took us through the impressive archaeological remains in the city, showing us its features. Our fellow student Lesly, a Seattleite now serving in Paris, preached to us from the semicircular amphitheatre that could easily seat 25,000.

From there we walked to the ruins of Mary’s Church. It is surprisingly not restored – given its namesake’s honor in this region and the historical significance of that particular church; I would expect a focus on restoration activity in this area.

The book of Ephesians is one of my most favorite books. As a result it was fascinating for me to walk those streets. While I was in the city itself, I didn’t sense a deep connection as I have in other places. But the more I reread Acts and other Scripture about this area, and think about the reality of this location, I am more and more rooted. As I sift through photos from the day, I find the images helpful in connecting me also. I wonder if my own tiredness, and difficulty in walking these streets, made it difficult for me to fully engage.