I Left My Heart in Greece
There's something special about the place...
“The chief of the cardinal virtues, charity… [the Greeks] possess in an overwhelming degree.”
Mani, Travels in the Southern Peloponnese, by Patrick Leigh Fermor, 1958
I have lived in many places and visited many more. I have never been anywhere that did not possess its own unique beauty or encounter a people who were not wonderful and inspiring in their own unique way. And yet, Greece outshines them all.
I have never known so much joy as I did living in Greece.
But what makes the place so sublime?
Well, the first thing that strikes you is the beauty of the place. There is no blue so enchanting as the blue of the Aegean. I could spend an entire day (I have spent an entire day) staring into its transparent depths. Then there are the seaside villages dotted with blue-domed churches, the rocky hillsides, the valleys blanketed with olive trees. Head into the mountains to find delightful forests and stunning cliffs.
And then there is Athens. Once while walking home alone in the dark after a meal with friends, I looked up to see the Acropolis flooded with lights and a full moon behind, and I just began to cry. The magnificence of the sight overwhelmed me, even though I had seen it hundreds of times before. And the Parthenon is just the tip of the iceberg: Athens is a city brimming with life.
This leads me to the richness of the history and the culture. Greece, the font of philosophy, the font of democracy, the font of faith. Greece is a modern country, but ghosts everywhere surround you. Linger in the ancient Agora, and you can almost hear Socrates holding forth. Visit Pnyx, and you can almost hear Pericles addressing the Athenian Assembly. Wander Corinth, and you can almost hear Paul proclaiming the good news.
And of course I cannot fail to mention the wonderful cuisine. Visit the laiki, the farmer’s market, and you will be stunned by the quality of the produce. Greek life revolves around the shared table, marked by easy laughter and great passion as well as flavorful food and flowing tsipouro. Feta and olives, barbounia, dolmades, keftedes, gemista, gigantes, spanakopita, grilled octopus, eggplant, and of course, lamb.
And then there is the magical way in which the spiritual world seems to break through into the physical here. In Greece, the spiritual was never banished from polite company or the town square. Take a pilgrimage to Mount Athos, sit inside an old Byzantine church in Thessaloniki, take a trek up to the impossible mountaintop monasteries at Meteora, and breathe in the sacredness of ancient places and ancient ways.
My favorite place in all the world is Patmos, a quiet and beautiful little island not far from the Turkish coast. It is here that the Apostle John was exiled by the Romans, here he received his revelation, here he recorded the final words of Scripture. Sit on the bucolic hillside near the Cave of the Apocalypse, feel the breeze on your face, look out over the sea, and then close your eyes. You can almost feel the end of this world. It feels like peace.
But the most sublime thing about Greece? Well, that would be the Greeks themselves. They are warm, welcoming, and generous to a fault. The Greeks are a people who lived under foreign domination and oppression and abject poverty for centuries, a people who more recently have lived under severe economic depression for over a decade, a people marked by tragedy. Yet their spirit remains open and overflowing with life. Joy abounds in their midst.
When I consider my easy life and self-absorbed spirit, I want to feel ashamed in their presence. Yet, the warmth of the Greeks is such that it allows for no such negativity. You are enveloped by their filoxenia (hospitality; literally, “friend to the stranger”).
But it is more than just the warmth of the Greeks that inspires. There is also their devotion to family and each other. I had the humbling privilege of living in Athens during the financial crisis. The Greeks suffered. Yet, they suffered with dignity. And they suffered together. Three generations living in a small apartment on grandpa’s meager pension. Old men picking through the trash for scraps, with dignity. Smiles on their faces, holding hands, heads high, they persevered, together.
And there is one other thing about the Greeks — their passion. In Greek, the word for “discuss” and “debate” is the same. There is no distinction. A Greek conversation is like a thunderstorm – one moment claps of thunder and flashes of lighting, the next calm as can be. The Greeks love a raucous argument, but after it is done, it’s as if it never happened. Perfect amity.
For an Anglo-Saxon stoic like myself, this way of interacting is shocking, scary even. I remember being invited by a Greek friend to their family dinner. An argument exploded on the topic of Islam (the Greeks love to debate politics and religion as much as we Americans strive to avoid talking about them). As things intensified, I found myself shrinking inward, trying to disappear into my chair. Finally, someone noticed me and laughed, “But Jeff, you are so sensitive!”
I remain uncomfortable with this way of interacting. But I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I learn so much about life being with my Greek friends. They make me a better person.
Well, I could say so much more about Greece, but I have already rambled on too much.
Yes, living in Greece was the most joyous time of my life.
But of course, eventually the day came when I had to return home. As the plane lifted from the ground, I gazed out the window. My Greece slowly disappeared below. Tears streamed down my cheeks. But not all of me departed. I left my heart there.
A Short Meditation
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Do not be fooled by the chaos, suffering, and callousness that swirl around you. Love is the animating force of the universe. It is so central to the essence of God that John says “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
What does God’s love look like? John tells us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
You see, love and suffering are not incompatible. Love—the virtue of charity—expresses itself in sacrifice, laying down our lives for God and for others.
What does our love look like? “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).
Be of good cheer, my friends, love never fails.
Un Petit Aperçu
La Grèce est un pays fabuleux. J'ai vécu dans de nombreux endroits, mais je n'ai jamais connu autant de joie qu'en Grèce. Qu'est-ce qui la rend si sublime? Eh bien, il y a d'abord la beauté du pays. Ensuite, il y a la richesse de son histoire et de sa culture. Et bien sûr, la cuisine est merveilleuse. De plus, en Grèce le monde spirituel semble plus visible.
Mais la chose la plus merveilleuse en Grèce, ce sont les Grecs eux-mêmes. Les Grecs sont un peuple qui a souffert. Pourtant, ils restent ouverts, chaleureux, accueillants, passionnés et généreux. En cela, ils ont beaucoup à nous apprendre. Je suis si reconnaissant d'avoir vécu en Grèce et de compter les Grecs parmi mes amis. Quelle joie!
Μία Περίληψη
Η Ελλάδα είναι μια ξεχωριστή χωρά. Έχω ζήσει σε πολλά μέρη, αλλά ποτέ δεν έχω γνωρίσει τόση χαρά όσο στην Ελλάδα. Γιατί είναι τόσο υπέροχο; Λοιπόν, πρώτα η Ελλάδα είναι πανέμορφη. Η θάλασσα, τα βουνά, οι πόλεις – εκπληκτικοί! Έπειτα υπάρχει η πλούσια ιστορία και πολιτισμός. Και φυσικά, η κουζίνα είναι θαυμάσια. Επίσης, η Ελλάδα είναι ένα μέρος όπου ο πνευματικός κόσμος φαίνεται πιο ορατός.
Αλλά το πιο υπέροχο πράγμα για την Ελλάδα είναι οι ίδιοι οι Έλληνες. Οι Έλληνες είναι ένας λαός που έχει υποφέρει. Ωστόσο, παραμένουν ανοιχτοί, φιλότιμοι, ζεστοί, φιλόξενοι, παθιασμένοι και γενναιόδωροι. Έτσι έχουν πολλά να μας διδάξουν. Είμαι τόσο ευγνώμων που έχω ζήσει στην Ελλάδα και μπορώ να πω πως οι Έλληνες είναι οι φίλοι μου. Τι χαρά!
This was beautifully written Jeff 😊
This is the first post I’ve listened to. Jennifer put me onto it. She said it was heartwarming to hear your voice. She was right. And your French accent is so much better than mine, which is exactly as sub-mediocre as you imagine… 😄