"You are crazy!"

This was the response from my Greek neighbour, who owns the cleaning store, when I told him I had moved from England to live in Athens. It was a friendly exchange and I was able to talk to him (a little) and practice some Greek, especially my newly learnt phrase 'I want to clean my floor'. He does speak a little bit of English which was helpful. I also met a lady who works in the flower shop (also next-door) who lives on the floor above me. Please pray that I continue to get to know my neighbours and that in some way I can be a good witness for Christ. Speaking about my faith is obviously very tricky due to the language barrier but I would like my neighbours to know that I am a Christian. It is very early days and my prayer is that over the year I will be able to have more conversations (slightly deeper) like I did this morning!

Last night I went to a 'summer cinema' with Dimitris (my Greek friend). It was a fun experience and as you can see from the picture (left) the reason it is a 'summer' cinema is because it is outside! We saw a 1960s film called '12 angry men'. It was really good and thankfully in English! Apparently there are a few 'summer cinemas' around Athens and one worth checking out is next to the Acropolis. As you can imagine the views are amazing (maybe one to try later on in the summer perhaps). Give thanks that I'm beginning to feel like I know my neighbourhood. Over the last few days I have spent a lot of time walking around and now have a better picture in my mind about where places are in relation to my flat. Keep praying for safety as I walk around the city. This evening I visited Mount Lykavitos. I will need to sit down and work out the best route as I took a very winding path which eventually got me to the top but felt like quite a convoluted route. It is one of my favourite places to visit in Athens and I'm looking forward to going again especially when there are fewer clouds in the sky.

   As you can see from the pictures there are stunning views right across the city and on a clear day you can see for miles. On my way down the mountain as the evening set in, I was reminded once again of the size of Athens and therefore the number of people who don't know the good news of Jesus Christ. That there is a God who is extravagantly loving and more good then anyone could ever imagine. I've just started reading a book by Mike Reeves called 'the good God'. It is well worth a read! It is all about God as 'trinity' and how because God is 'trinity' at his deepest nature he is love.




View over Athens.

Nearly at the top of Lykavitos!        

A little extract to wet your appetite:

Now, God could not be love if there was nobody to love. He could not be a Father without a child. And yet it is not as if God created so that he could love someone. He is love, and does not need to create in order to be who he is. If he did, what a needy, lonely thing he would be! 'Poor old God', we'd say. If he created us in order to be who he is, we would be giving him life.

No, 'Father', says Jesus the Son in John 17:24, 'you loved me before the creation of the world.' The eternal Son, who according to Colossians 1 is 'before all things' (v17), the one through whom 'all things were created (v16), the one Hebrews 1 calls 'Lord' and 'God', who laid the foundations of the earth' (Hebrews 1:10), he it is who is loved by the Father before the creation of the world. The Father, then, is the Father of the eternal Son, and he finds his very identity, his Fatherhood, in loving and giving out his life and being to the Son.


This is our God and O how we should want to know him and make him known. Please pray that as I read on about the God who is love, who is our Father, that I would rest in His love and be strengthened to serve and delight in Him.

The sun sets over Athens.

 

Rather busy at the summit!