Greece: Day 2

As I was running this morning and admiring the mountains that surround our hotel, I became acutely aware of how the gods and the mythology of Greece (and, by extension, Western culture) are so caught up in the natural world. The idea of communion with the gods on the height of a mountain top —theophanies as they are called—makes complete sense when you are confronted with the impressive monolith that juts out from the sea and ends up kissing the sky. Nature as an influence for the various religious traditions is crucial to what we have to build upon, and it is wonderfully palpable and powerful in this locale.

We traveled from our wonderful hotel in Lemani back to Sparta and a wonderful Byzantine walled city, Mystras.

On the way to the city that once was home to 30,000, we had an interesting conversation about the difference between the Western Church and the Orthodox tradition. Even though there was a schism within the “Church” in 1054, the tradition has often been understood from the Western perspective. Clearly, being in Greece, offers another perspective and a window into the richness of the Eastern Church. Some of this richness is evident in the monastery, convent, and churches that we visited in Mystras.

The iconography (or hagiography—holy writing—as it is known) is beautiful and expresses the visual aspect of faith that is so very much a part of both traditions, and particularly a part of the Eastern tradition and its focus on iconography. Furthermore, the iconography raises the aspect of Christianity as a visual tradition and the importance of expressing the “story” in ways that people can access, be it through narrative or the visual arts.

Furthermore, there is a real sense that the East and the West have differing views of the divine and how Christ fits into that reality. Rather than a linear tradition and a specific fascination with the philosophy of “how” Jesus is divine and human (a major part of the Western traditon), there exists a clear commitment to the communion of the Divine (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or Creator, Christ, and Spirit) that informs the human understanding of our life and life together: we are made for and experience the holy in community.

More tomorrow, but a few pictures as well. . .

The following is a link to video from Epidaurus (I hope):
Ampitheater at Epidaurus

and pictures from Mystras: