Traveling Thoughts

Aksum, Ethiopia

The ruins in Aksum are an interesting representation of how history ebbs and flows. Aksum was once an empire that rivaled the Roman and Chinese Empires, but few have ever heard of it. Based in Ethiopia, Aksum dominated East Africa and Southern Arabia because it controlled the trade routes of the Red Sea. The culture was fond of building stele, large monoliths that generally contained ornate decorations, maps, and writings. Is there any doubt I’d be interested in a place like that?

Aksum began as typically pagan, worshipping nature gods of various types. In time, a few gods graduated to prominence, creating a strangely trinitarian paganism. At some point, influenced partly by Judaism, Aksum shifted from polytheism to its own unique version of monotheism. Scholars don’t agree on the name of the Aksum god, though Astar seems to be one of the names frequently suggested. Regardless of the name, things changed radically in the 4th century. Those of you familiar with the history of the world will recognize the subtle wit of that comment. Or maybe I’m not as witty as I think…

Things changed when two young men, Frumentius (unrelated to the fermenting of wine) and Edesius (unrelated to the famous Odysseus) were survivors of a massacre and captured as slaves by the king of Aksum. These two men gained such respect that the king of Aksum freed them. Well, he waited until he was on his death bed, but still, he set them free. The grieving queen persuaded the brothers to stay and educate the young, future king Ezama. Years later, Frumentius converted Ezama to Christianity. King Ezama II then turned the whole Aksum Empire Christian. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was formed and still exists to this day.

The impact of a single individual on the world at large should not be underestimated. Frumentius influenced Ezama who influenced his empire. As individual believers, we probably won’t influence kings or world leaders. However, we will influence thousands during our life time and those thousands will influence thousands more. And one of those will likely be a Frumentius.

from the pen of Jeff Joyner

Several years ago a friend of mine took this picture in Montana. I was so captivated by this landscape, that I stared at it in silence for several moments. I could see this was not just your ordinary picture.

What first caught my attention was the dead tree in the front. It was the first thing I saw. The tree was now a mere shadow of what it once was. As I continued to examine it, I began to visualize what it must have looked like before the onset of decay. I also wondered what external factors attributed to its demise. Then I finally looked past the tree. Off in the distance was an incredibly beautiful display of God’s handiwork. I knew there was something else God wanted me to see in this picture.

The dead tree represents past loss or dried up dreams. And like that tree, I can become stranded in a desolate place, unable to see the beauty that lies beyond it. Because I live in this dark and decaying world, I can be overwhelmed by the journey that still lies ahead. Yet as a follower of Christ, I must keep my eyes on the beauty that awaits me. An eternity in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I was so grateful to have seen my friend’s picture. For it reminded me that I have everything I need to finish my journey homeward. I have Jesus who will be with me every step of the way.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬

There are many mysterious discs being seen in the skies around the world. This disc was not seen in the sky but dug up on the island of Crete. It’s called the Phaistos Disc and no one has been able to decipher it. There are numerous guesses about what it might be. Of the many guesses, I think my favorite is that it’s some type of ancient board game. It amuses me to picture our ancient ancestors, some 3500 years ago, playing their version of Monopoly!

There’s little hope of ever translating the symbols on the disc. We don’t have any other examples of this ‘language.’ Without a larger sampling, it’s simply impossible to figure out the intended meaning. Though human beings have never stopped trying to accomplish the impossible. Our one chance to solve the mystery would be a new archaeological discovery that contained another sampling of the symbols. Or better yet, a Rosetta Stone type tablet that would give us a translation in a language already known.

I was fortunate enough to see this disc on display in a museum. I even bought a book about it. Yet I’m unable to make any sense of it. Of course, I’m unable to make sense of a lot of things, but that’s another story. However, the disc did set my mind to considering the place of mystery in our lives. Humans don’t like mystery. We want to know all the answers. The universe is not designed to allow us to know all the answers. No matter how much we learn or how much we advance our technology, there will be mysteries. Mysteries in the far reaches of the universe. Mysteries within our own human nature. And definitely mysteries about God.

I think I have rocks on the brain this past month, as I keep writing about them. But it’s apparently something I have in common with ancient people in Europe who were apparently obsessed with them. This picture depicts Carnac, a collection of some 3000 standing stones located in Northwestern France. These stones were carved and erected about 6000 years ago, forming the largest collection of megaliths in the world.

For all the research and archaeology done, we still don’t know exactly why ancient Europeans were creating these sites. Were they some sort of ancient astronomical observatories? Were they aligned for the winter and summer solstices? Were they places of religious worship? I rather prefer the more legendary explanations. Pope Cornelius, being chased by an army of pagans, turned that army to stone. Or Merlin turned a Roman army to stone to protect King Arthur. Ultimately, we don’t know. It seems like we should be able to figure out why they were constructed, but I can’t even figure out why the builder of my house put in certain features. And that was only 20 years ago.

Carnac, and all the standing stone sites, represent for me a basic human problem. We want to understand things, but frequently it’s beyond our power to do so. Whenever humans are faced with an unknown, we try to make sense of it. We see strange shadows and our minds force those shadows to conform to shapes that are familiar to us. We see odd lights in the sky and we come up with explanations for them. Sometimes those explanations can be quite bizarre. But it’s something uniquely human, the need to make sense out of the world around us. Whatever those ancient builders were doing 6000 years ago, I’m pretty sure they were trying to make sense of the world by doing it. They’re not so different from us.

This collection of rock formations, located in Central Germany, is known as the Externsteine. Geology dates it back 100 million years. Archaeology has determined humans began to make use of it around 10,000 BC. Apparently, it was just sitting around doing very little prior to that date. It does look like the perfect place for pterodactyls to have their nests, though, so it probably spent most of its history protecting baby pterodactyls and other baby birds.

Archaeologists have found arrowheads and blades beneath one of the stones, as well as fire sites. Early nomadic humans probably used the place as a temporary shelter. Obviously, the pterodactyls were gone by then. Or maybe not. Maybe humans domesticated pterodactyls and flew around on them. Maybe that’s the source for tales of dragons. Or maybe I’ve watched too many science fiction movies.

Legends have risen about this location. The main story is that pagan Saxons worshipped here and they built a large pillar to honor their gods. This pillar is called an Irmunsul, and many of these were built throughout the lands occupied by early Germanic tribes. Charlemagne is reported to have destroyed a great Irmunsul during the Saxon Wars. Scholars speculate that Externsteine may have been the location.

In any case, the Extersteine eventually became a Christian hermitage and later a chapel. Small rooms were carved into the base of the rocks. Believers could seek solitude in the quiet darkness of the rocks or at the top of the tors. The Christian faith of the Medieval period had a strong emphasis on separation from the everyday world. It would be wise for us to recapture that emphasis in our busy world. We need silence and solitude. We need to get away now and then. The Christians at Extersteine went above the world or below the world to accomplish that. We have so many more options today. But it starts with the decision to do it by making it a priority.

This big-eyed figurine was discovered in the ancient ruin of Tell Brak in Syria. Actually, thousands of these figurines were found in a single building in Tell Brak. That building is now called, not surprisingly, the Eye Temple. So what’s the deal with the big eyes? It depends on the figurine.

Some of these figurines represent worshippers. The big eyes demonstrate the proper attitude of worshippers: attentiveness to the gods. These figurines come in a variety of sizes and styles and managed to spread across the whole Mediterranean via trade. I think of them as ancient Barbie dolls. Or maybe Beanie Babies. No. If you picture them with colored hair, they look like troll dolls!

Okay. Maybe not.

There’s another variation of these statuettes. Some of them actually represent ancient Mesopotamian gods. The big eyes suggest that the god is always watching you, and his or her eyes are big enough to see you no matter where you are. Having one of these things on display in your home was a reminder of that.

One way or another, those figurines are a reminder. They remind us that we should always try to focus on God. When we do that, the world and our personal situations can make sense. They also remind us that God is both omniscient and omnipresent. He is everywhere we are. He knows everything that’s going on. We have no secrets from God, although we sometimes act like we’re successfully hiding our bad behavior from Him. We’re not. God has big eyes.

When I was a kid, the news was full of stories about a program called SEALAB. I was really enthralled with these experimental underwater habitats and even wrote stories about my own fictional city under the sea. I’m sure my stories violated every known scientific principle involving the ocean and its mysterious depths, but they were fun. It was some time after SEALAB that I first learned about the lost city of Atlantis and the idea that there was an actual city under the sea. Of course, I was quickly searching the library for any information on Atlantis.

I’m an adult, now. Well, sometimes an adult! Anyway, I’m still interested in Atlantis although I’m skeptical about its actual existence. In my online researching, I was surprised to discover that there are a number of actual sunken cities around the world. One of these sites is Dwarka, in northwest India.

The modern city of Dwarka is a pilgrimage site where, for centuries, people have come regularly to worship Hindu gods in the many temples built throughout the city. But in the 1960s, right around the time of SEALAB, archaeologists found artifacts that convinced them that there was some kind of structure offshore. Ongoing work led to the discovery of various structures including crumbling walls, lengthy stone staircases, and other ruins. After doing all their archaeological magic, the experts determined that this was likely the ruins of ‘ancient Dwarka,’ a place mentioned in the ancient texts of India.

I might not have paid too much attention to underwater Dwarka if it hadn’t been for a recent news story. Last year, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, dove down to the ancient ruins to pray. For him it was an intense spiritual moment. It got me thinking about the importance of getting away from our everyday lives to concentrate on God and our spiritual health. I’m not inclined to dive down to sunken ruins, though. I prefer sitting on the beach looking out at the vastness of the ocean with a couple of devotional books by my side. And an ice cold Pepsi in my hand.

from the pen of Jeff Joyner

It was New Year’s Eve, and some friends asked if I wanted to go to a party with them. I was a college student finishing up my last couple of courses, with plans to graduate the following June. I had nothing going on that night, so I decided to go. Once we got there, I knew the storyline for me was going to be the same. Get intoxicated and sleep it off the next day. Yet there was something different about that night.

As I stood on the threshhold of a new year, it appeared my future looked very bright. Not only would I be a college graduate, but there was also a high probability I would land my dream job in the airline industry. In spite of all this, l still felt a sense of turmoil and dread regarding the future. I knew it had much to do with a decision I had made seven years earlier to walk away from God, and live life on my own terms. As time went by, instead of finding freedom and fulfillment, I found only pain and anxiety.

As midnight approached, I quietly broke away from the crowd and walked into the restroom. I stood there for several moments staring at my reflection in the mirror. It was as if my face was totally unrecognizable. Finally, in my despair I yelled out loud, “Who are you?” As I stared in silence, I knew I had to make some changes in my life. Though I was never one for New Year’s resolutions, it was then that I made a decision to turn around and begin my journey back to the Lord.

I experienced a lot of change the following year. I rededicated my life to Christ and committed to follow Him for the rest of my life. I also graduated from college and landed my dream job in the airline industry. Toward the end of that year, God called me into full time music ministry, of which I am still a part of today. But it all goes back to that New Year’s Eve. For it was there that God brought me to the end of myself, restoring both my life and my hope for the future. And for that I am eternally grateful.

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help.” Psalm‬ ‭18‬:‭6‬

The Rosetta Stone was one of the very first things that got me interested in archaeology. Or in dead, old things as I often say. It was a seventh grade teacher who made history so interesting I never stopped reading about it. This teacher talked about the importance of the Rosetta Stone in discovering how to interpret hieroglyphics. From the Rosetta Stone, I went on to exploring all kinds of strange artifacts from the past. This blog has talked about many of them but I’m really intrigued by this stone.

For almost 1500 years, no human beings could decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphics. We had many scrolls, tablets, and carvings written in the Egyptian language but no way to understand what they were saying. If that seems moderately unimportant, just imagine someone in the distant future discovering a library of books but being unable to read the language they were written in. That situation would give me an anxiety attack.

The Rosetta Stone solved the hieroglyph problem. It’s just a large chunk of black granite, but it contains the written decree of Ptolemy V. This decree was important enough that it was carved into stone. Furthermore, it was carved in three different texts, each one on top of the other. The picture I’ve included shows the stone and insets of each of the texts. The top is Egyptian hieroglyphs. The middle is another Egyptian text. The bottom is in ancient Greek. Since scholars understood how to read ancient Greek, they were able to compare that to the hieroglyphic text. It took a lot of people a long time, but by learning from the Rosetta Stone the key to interpreting the symbols was discovered. Today, you can buy a heiroglyphic dictionary and teach yourself to write in Egyptian pictures

𓄀𓅱𓈖𓏏𓂋𓏭𓏤𓀀

from the pen of Jeff Joyner

A few years ago, I decided to sit out on our front porch one last time before the arrival of Winter. As I rocked for a while in my chair, I thought about all that had transpired through recent years. It seemed that everywhere I turned, people were hurting, pain was running rampant, and darkness was threatening to settle over the whole earth. As I pondered this for a while, I finally said in a one sentence prayer: “It’s a weary world, Lord.” As soon as I uttered those words, one of my favorite Christmas carols immediately came to mind:

O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the
Dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin
And error pining
Till He appeared and the
Soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a
New and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine, O night when
Christ was born
O night, O holy night
O night divine

Jesus is the hope for a weary world. And though it may appear that darkness has settled over all the earth, it’s important to remember that this Jesus who’s birth we celebrate, is the Light of the world. And this LIGHT will come once again, to usher in a “new and glorious morn.”

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John‬ ‭1:5‬