May 1, 2005
Celebrating the
Resurrection!
Spring is the most beautiful season in Greece because the landscape changes
from the morbid dry rocky ground to mountains and valleys covered with color
from the budding trees and blooming flowers. It is also when everyone goes
out and paints in white all the edges of the sidewalks, the poles, the tree
trunks, the fences, and the porches, in preparation for PASCHA or the Easter
celebration. This reminds me of the verse, “Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of
all uncleanness,” Matthew 23:27. The Greeks have forty days of lent or
fasting (more like a cleansing diet) and then the Holy Week begins. The
stores are closed till 1 PM to facilitate the members to attend church
services during Holy Week, however, there is chaos afterwards as last minute
shoppers rush to the markets to buy something new to wear, a gift for the
child they have baptized, and the traditional Easter meal, the lamb which
they will put on a rotisserie and roast it whole in their front yards early
Sunday morning. Yes, some do go and stand outside of the church and hear the
liturgy (with cigarette in hand), but the emphasis of the celebration
centers on the eating of lamb, drinking the wine, dancing to folklore music,
and not to the John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world.”
By now, you must be thinking that this letter is about 2 months late, but
not so. Greek Orthodox Easter this year was May 1st, over one month later
from the rest of the Christian world. It is also notable that the Greek
Pascha is celebrated near the Jewish Passover which began April 23rd this
year. Just as Jesus compared the scribes and Pharisee with the whited
sepulchers, I can see the people of Greece painting the sidewalks and
everything in site white, yet their hearts are black with the darkness of
religion and far from the truth of the Resurrected Christ. Pray for the
Greeks in Greece and around the world for their salvation.
It is hard to believe how time has flown by. It is almost one year since
James came to Greece to work with me in Athens. I have enjoyed the
enthusiasm and energy that James has exhibited this past year. He has been
an encouragement to me. James is returning to N. Carolina to visit his
family and plans to enroll in BBC this fall. I look forward to hear of God’s
blessings in his life.
Pray for my eyes as they
are getting very weak. Macula Degeneration is getting worse and Glaucoma
is acting up again after laser surgery five years ago.
Pray for wisdom as we prepare to come home on furlough to seek special
medical treatment.
Pray for Cristina as she will be enrolling in BBC this Fall.
Pray for Timothy as he will attend his first year in traditional school
at 17.
Pray for James, for safe travels home May 20th and enrolling in BBC.
Laboring together till
Jesus comes,
George and Luisa Dimakos
(
(30
210)
93 17 223 )Email:
dimakos@hol.gr
