Farewell to Cyprus

We didn't really plan to come to Cyprus.  Our first stop was intended as Egypt, with five post-Easter days on the Red Sea.  As we were preparing to buy plane tickets, Cairo and Libia erupted in violence.   Then a pastor from the U.S. was kidnapped in the desert.  We considered skipping Egypt altogether and going directly to Israel.  But then the Israelites and Palestinians renewed their never-ending campaign of missiles and bombs.  When we realized that Cyprus was not only nearby, but would be an idyllic spot to relax after Easter and hadn't been in the news for a long time, we booked our tickets.  Of course Cyprus became the focus of world attention the week before our departure with the bank crisis.  It passed quickly, though, with no real uprisings.  A Cypriot here in Paphos explained to us that the people of Cyprus are generally understated and very polite even in the midst of crisis - a carryover from many years of British influence.

Yesterday the weather became seriously warm.  We were sweating and guzzling bottled water while

crawling in and out of dusty graves at the Tomb of the Kings across the street from our apartment.  Today will be even warmer as we head east to the airport and stop at coastal villages along the way.  Tomorrow we arrive in the Sinai Desert (yes we are going to Egypt, but only for two days) where temps will be near 90 F as we climb Mt. Sinai.  People ask why we didn't wait till summer to travel -- this is why!

The St. Paul Pillar in Paphos sits beside a small church that is relatively modern by Middle Eastern standards.  It was built in the 15th century and now hosts services each Sunday for Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and... to my amazement... the German Evangelical Church.  This, in a structure constructed for an Eastern Orthodox congregation.  The St. Paul Pillar (site of his alleged whipping) is easy to miss in an excavation site that contains four ancient churches built one upon the other.  Cypriot Christians are

proud of the fact that the Apostle Paul visited the city of Paphos after landing on the other side of the island and walking through the mountains.  Having driven through those mountains with great difficulty, and having seen the scope of the Mediterranean from our terrance, and still bearing an ugly bruise on my arm from a sudden storm that blew in from the sea, I have renewed respect for the apostle.  I imagine I will still prefer to preach from the gospels than the epistles (I struggled through a Pauline text last week and it was hard to find something relevant for the twenty-first century - though I did!), but I am definitely impressed by the ambition and tenacity of Paul's travels.

And so our journey continues today... not by foot or boat like Paul, but in our tiny rental car and a plane and a taxi.  Tonight we will catch a few hours of sleep at an over-priced hotel room by the Tel Aviv airport (no other options.)  Then on to Egypt and the mountain of Moses.