brian shivers

Saddened       that some have ceased to care.  There really       is no time for that.  This time,      this now, demands the deepest of our      care,      concern,      compassion. Humanity is crying      from abandonment; creation is screaming      from neglect; children are dying      from disengagement. We must resist      apathy,      indifference,      unconcern,      insensitivity. These are the enemies       of community,      of freedom,      of we. This is the time to devote ourselves fully      to one another.   — bshivers

Some mornings, you get on a boat. Some mornings, you travel across the sea. Some mornings, you journey to a mystical place. And when you arrive, everything changes. You visit a monastery. You meet a monk. He is transformed by the interaction. He allows you to visit the relic room. Few visit the relic room. You stand in the presence         of the remains of Chiristodoulos Latrinos of Patmos and Wonderworker         who established the Monastery of St. John the Theologian. You stand in the presence         of the remains St. Thomas the Apostle. You stand in a sanctuary. You are in awe of the icons. They are miraculous. And then, and then, the cave. THE cave. The one in which the Apostle John         received the revelation. Beginning and end. First and last. Seven. New heaven, new earth. Behold,         all things are new. You are changed. We all are ch...

We said our farewells to Athens in a big way this morning. The group hiked to the top of the hill directly across from the Acropolis where the Tomb of Philopappos. This location has the most spectacular views of the city of Athens. We then walked to the Temple of Zeus built by Hadrian to honor the city of Athens. Even though he was Caesar, he loved Athens more than Rome. This structure is overwhelming to behold. After lunch, away we flew to the island of Samos. This picturesque locations is home base for three nights. We had a lovely large group dinner at a wonderful resort before returning to our fantastic hotel for a good night’s rest in preparation for a full day tomorrow. Have a good day and thank you for your prayers.

Today was an incredible adventure. An hour and a half drive found us at the Corinthian Canal completed in the 19th century. It allows sailors to cut over 140 nautical miles off of their journey. In antiquity, sailors would unload their cpships in one port, roll their ships across the land on wheels, and put the ship back into the water on the other side. This is what made Corinth such an importent city in Greek and Roman history. We got back on our motor coach with our faithful driver Dimitri to head to Nemea. This was a site of ancient games, the only athlete bath ever discovered in Greece, and the oldest temple of Zeus discovered in Greece. It was beautiful and an unbelievable experience to be standing on that temple site. After an amazing lunch looking over the ruins of ancient Corinth, we toured the ruins, stood beside the Temple of Apollo, saw the store from which Paul may have had his tentmaking shop, celebrated communion together (in the community to...

Today, we marched on Athens! Over eight miles of marching! Our day began with a hike to the Acropolis. Eleni, our amazing guide, set the stage with a brief history lesson. The students were blown away. As one of them said, “That was like a semester’s worth of learning in ten minutes. This time I won’t forget it.” We then sat in the Theater of Dionysius. This is where theater was born and was done in “view of God.” Following this moving stop we marched to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of Nike, the Parthenon, and the Erechtheion. Everything is so stunning and the skill and devotion it took to build these amazing buildings is humbling and awe inspiring. We then journeyed to the top of what is called the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, where Paul delivered his famous speech to the men of Athens. This speech can be found in Acts 17. In a beautiful olive grove on the Pnyx, the hill where ancient Athenians voted, Rev. Josh Stanley led us in a discussion of Paul’s journey to Athens a...

When you leave Indianapolis at 9:30 am on Friday, visit Ostia Antica in Rome, eat dinner at Attikos in Athens overlooking the Parthenon, and finally get into your room at 10:30 pm on Saturday, you have either been time traveling, experienced the unraveling of the Space-Time Continuum or you have just experienced the first two days and night of Footsteps of Faith 2018. Footsteps of Faith is a ten month journey with high school seniors that culminates in a trip to Greece and Italy. The next few days will feature highlights of our journey. We arrived safely at each of our destinations. We grew together as a group. We saw life changing vistas. We ate a great meal with an outstanding view. We are tired. Tomorrow will be another full day. Goodnight. Keep us in your prayers.

Take a moment hear the universe say, you are necessary now; not when      you know for sure; not when      you’ve finished that one task; not when      you are finally whole; not when      you have it figured out; not when      you meet the right person; not when      you grow into it; not when      you grow up; not when      you get there. No. You are necessary now. Hear it. Believe it. Live it. — bshivers

To See You (a poem) I long to see you see me as the person I am today. Much has happened since you went away. Your youngest grandchild now an adult; Your oldest now a parent to your first great grand. My hair has greyed. My face has lines and creases. Signs of life lived and time passed. O that we could sit at table and chat sharing laughter, wisdom, and what ifs. I wish I could see you see me as the person I am today and the one I have yet to be tomorrow. bshivers