From AXIOS Newsletter, Volume Eight, Number Three
Copyright 1988, AXIOS Newsletter, Inc.
Reproduced by Permission
Downloads for private use only.
To Christians seeking an awareness of their spiritual heritage, there
are few places more awe-inspiring than Patmos, Greece. This tiny Island in
the Aegean Sea has been holy to Christendom for 1800 years, and the scene
of many miraculous events. The reason for its fame is that here the
Apostle John lived and received from God the vision which became the
Bible's Book of Revelation.
What brought St. John to this remote spot far from Judea, where he,
along with the other disciples, had been followers and witness of Jesus
Christ? To answer this, one must remember that after our Lord's death and
Resurrection, the Roman emperors began a vicious persecution of Christians
in which many were killed or exiled. St. John's Inspired preaching of
Christ enraged emperor Domitian, who exiled him to Patmos in the year 95
AD. John was accompanied by Prochoros, one of the seven deacons appointed
by the Apostles (Acts, Chapter 6, Verse 5), who served as the Evangelist's
secretary, and recorded what John heard God saying to him.
St. John was not idle during his imprisonment. From the moment he
arrived on Patmos, he began to work miracles and demonstrate a life of
prayer and faith in God. He confronted the pagan worship prevalent on the
island, and with fatherly love he ultimately converted all the inhabitants
to Christianity.
The Christian beliefs and practices that John taught gave birth to a
Christ-Centered culture on Patmos which has persisted, essentially
unchanged, to the present day. In spite of a history of subjugation by
Moslem and Latin invaders, the people have clung tenaciously to their
precious and soul-saving Orthodox Christian heritage.
In view of Patmos' most celebrated resident, it was with keen interest
that my wife and I visited the island recently. Our journey commenced
tranquilly at Athens' Piraeus harbor, where we boarded a ferry and set off
under sunny skies. By midnight, twelve (12) hours later, the wind had
risen and the seas grown boisterous. Salt spray blowing wildly over the
deck drove the passengers inside and called to our minds one of the stories
traditionally told of the evening when St. John was brought as a prisoner
to Patmos.
On that night long ago, the seas had also grown rough and a violent
storm engulfed the boat that carried the Apostle. The passengers were
unable to escape the wrath of the waves and a young boy was swept from the
deck by the torrents. The boy's horrified father vowed sacrifices to the
gods, but (of course) in vain. In despair he then sought the help of John,
who knelt down on the deck and implored Christ to help the boy. At that
moment, a wave washed the youngster back onto the ship. The witnesses of
this miracle were deeply moved and accepted Christianity.
Our reflections were interrupted around 1 AM by the sound of the ship's
motors laboring. We emerged onto the deck and discovered that we had
reached Patmos and were approaching the harbor. What a sight lay before
us! The windy darkness was penetrated by a halo of lights shining from the
little port town of Scala. The gleaming white buildings shown with a
dream-like tranquility that contrasted oddly with the struggles of the
ship's crew, who wrestled with immense ropes to secure the ferry to the
dock in the gale.
To the cheers and applause of a small crowd that had gathered on the
shore, the ship was finally restrained but, driven by the wind, it
continued to stretch the ropes until they creaked and snapped like gunfire.
The passengers lept hurriedly to the dock and were met by the
crowd. As
Deborah and I alighted, we were approached by a Greek woman who offered us
a room. We accepted, and she led us up winding lanes past sweetly fragrant
flowers blooming in the moonlight. When we reached her home, she showed us
to a charming room with a balcony above a number of pigs, goats, and
chickens (we found out about them the next morning). We threw down our
things, said a prayer and went to sleep.
The next day, having awakened to melodious lowing, squealing, crowing,
and baaing, we set out to explore. The weather had calmed and a brilliant
sun revealed a lovely but ascetic island of sparse vegetation and sparser
population. On the terraced hillsides, lambs and goats wandered freely,
announcing their location among olive trees with faintly tinkling bells.
At the dock, fishermen cleaned and readied their nets for the day's labors.
Everywhere we walked, a sense of calm and peace prevailed, the result, no
doubt, of the centuries of prayer that have wafted to God from this blessed
place since the time of St. John.
The Apostle lived in a cave, where he occupied himself with prayer and
fasting, along with his disciple, Prochoros. It was here that he heard the
voice of the Lord, as Revelation Chapter 1, Verses 9 and 10 records:
"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in
the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called
Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was
in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet."
The cave is now surrounded by the Monastery of the Apocalypse, an
unpretentious, whitewashed building. Aside from a small painting above the
door, there is no indication that this is one of the most sacred shrines in
Christendom. Within, rock-hewn stairs lead down several levels past monks'
cells to St. John's cave.
At the deepest part of the cave is a sanctuary with ikonostasis. Above
this is a triple fissure in the rock, which tradition says was created by
the power of Christ speaking to John the words which are recorded in the
books of Revelation:
"I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and What thou seest,
write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and
unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." (Revelation,
Chapter 1, Verses 9-11)
Although the cave is now blessedly silent, far from the world's noisy
clamor, one senses that the rock is still resounding and reverberating from
the Eternal Word which was spoken there.
It is worth noting that St. John received guidance for the Seven (7)
Churches while a prisoner in exile. Perhaps this is a reminder that
Christians are always in exile while here on Earth; that they are pilgrims
far from their heavenly home.
On one side of the cave are indentations in the rock, now wreathed in
silver, where St. John rested his hands while he prayed and rested his head
while he slept. The cave itself can be seen as a sign of God's desire to
reveal Himself in lowliness and humility, unnoticed by the world. Of
course, the greatest of God's Revelations, the birth of His Son Jesus
Christ, also took place in the hiddenness of a cave.
Deborah and I prayed with thanksgiving to St. John, whose life and
witness have been so instrumental in revealing Christ to believers. We
left the Cave of Revelation feeling that something in us had been
profoundly changed by exposure to the holy place. From there we climbed
the hill that led to the imposing Monastery of St. John the Theologian,
visible from anywhere on the island.
The monastery was originally built by craftsmen from Constantinople in
the fourth (4th) century over a place where St. John was accustomed to
praying, and the monastery is still active today. Within the severe grey
battlements (constructed as a defense against pirates), all is shimmering
white. Graceful arches sustain the walls of the courtyard, and twisting
stone steps ascend to the bell tower. On the inner and outer walls of the
church are beautiful frescoes of Christ and His saints, dusty with
centuries of incensing. Within the church, the monks' stalls line the
walls, and they are worn with years of standing in prayer before the Lord.
Deborah and I lingered there, savoring the sweet atmosphere of Christian
striving and struggle that has produced so many saints and been the life
blood of the Church. What a debt the Christian world owes to those who
labored in obscurity, preserving the riches of the traditions that have
been established by the Apostles and confirmed by the Fathers!
The persecution of Christians to which St. John was subjected continued
for several hundred years until in 312 AD, Emperor Constantine witnessed
the vision of a glowing Cross in the sky and was converted to Christianity.
In the subsequent absence of physical persecution against believers,
monasticism emerged from within the Church as a new form of martyrdom.
Monasticism represented dying to the world and to the flesh, and
produced a quality essential to the life of the Church as a whole:
Otherworldliness. This quality is still nurtured by Orthodox monks, who
maintain the serenity of St. John's Monastery with ceaseless prayers. They
follow a regimen that has not changed for over a thousand years and whose
goal is the deification of man thru the crucifixion of the passions.
Around the Monastery of St. John, the village of Chora formed, composed
of dedicated lay-people. This type of inter-relationship between monastic
and lay communities was common thruout the Christian world until modern
times, as the Church was understood to be the center and ordering principal
of life.
The devotion of the people of Chora to their Christian heritage is
evidenced by the fact that in this tiny village there are 22 monasteries
and churches. One of these, the Church of Virgin Mary Deliverer, contains
a wonder-working ikon which Deborah and I were eager to venerate.
We searched Chora till we found the church, a simple and beautiful
building with a mosaic of the Virgin Mary above the door. It was locked,
but nearby was a neighbor lady sweeping her steps. I said something to her
and pointed to the church. In response, she made a pantomime which I took
to mean, "Go ring the bell and someone will come with a key." Since the
bell in question was the large church bell in the tower, I was reluctant to
start ringing it. The kind lady sensed my uncertainty; so she walked to
the bell and pointed directly at it, making yanking motions with her hand.
At this there could be no doubt, so I cautiously pulled the long rope till
the bell bonged a couple times. Sure enough, within a few minutes a
peasant lady arrived, key in hand, and opened the door.
What a blessing for us! The interior of the church was covered with
frescoes, many of which showed scenes from the life of Jesus which I had
never seen portrayed. In the isle was the wonder-working ikon of the
Theotokos (Mother of God), before which we offered our prayers.
As we walked back down the hill we were drawn to the Cave of Revelation
again. There is something so deeply stirring about it that we felt
compelled to return. And it was fortunate that we did, for an Orthodox
priest there pointed out something that had previously been invisible to
us, although it is literally engraved in stone. Upon the wall near where
St. John rested and prayed is an astounding cross which tradition says St.
John himself carved in the rock. Having seen it, I realized that its
singular shape has been reproduced thruout Patmos on posts and door
lintels.
One last time we prayed that the Word of God which came to strengthen
the ancient churches would abide in our hearts and in the hearts of all who
are struggling to be Christian in this age of apostasy. As we were leaving
we saw on a table a message, hitherto unnoticed. It read:
"Dear Visitor,
The place which you have just entered is sacred. This small cave
some two (2) thousand years ago gave shelter to the beloved
disciple of Jesus Christ, St. John the Evangelist. A continuous
tradition, extending across nineteen (19) centuries, has
preserved for us vivid traces of the Apostle's stay in this
place.
This is a holy but also an awe-inspiring place, for here -- as
once on Mount Sinai -- God came down in all His glory and
majesty, to reveal to John and thru him to the whole world 'the
things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.' We
can gain a sense of what that vision meant by looking at the
crack produced in the rock by the exceptional physical and
supranatural phenomena that accompanied the vision. This fissure
extends across the upper part of the cave from east to west,
dividing the rock into three parts and thus serving as a
continual reminder of the Trinitarian nature of God.
Your coming to this holy place is not a chance event in your
life. God, who 'wishes all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth' (I Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 4), who
directs all things for man's spiritual benefit, has guided you
here for you to listen, deep within yourself, to the secret echo
of the words that were spoken to St. John and to the seven (7)
Churches of Asia Minor -- whose light, alas, has been
extinguished because their faith in God grew cold -- and for you
to see with your mind's eye the heavenly vision revealed to the
Apostles.
At a time when religious faith has become weak and eternal values
have been cast aside, it is necessary for your own good that you
should call God to mind. Think of Him who is the all-powerful
Creator, Lord of the world, Alpha and Omega, as the Book of
Revelation terms Him, the beginning and end of all things, the
impartial judge, the final victor in the struggle against
antichrist and his tools.
In this cave, where the highest truths were revealed in the most
dramatic fashion, you are given the opportunity to reflect
inwardly and to ask yourself whether you are on the side of
Christ or antichrist. At this moment Christ stands at the door
of your soul and knocks on it. 'Behold, I stand at the door and
knock: if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come
in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.' (Revelation,
Chapter 3, Verse 20). Whoever you are, do not forget that God is
the eternal father of all human-kind. What will you do, brother?
Will you open your soul to Christ or will you keep it closed,
condemning yourself to fatal isolation?"
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