Editorial January 1, 2001 Issue

With the apostle in a war zone

Mary Trammell

It was an unusual time for a trip to the Mediterranean—August 1990, just days after Iraq invaded Kuwait. The buildup to the Gulf War was accelerating daily. But tracing St. Paul's missionary journeys was something my mother and I had always wanted to do. We'd bought non-refundable tickets months before. And the US State Department assured us we could proceed "With caution."

Visiting the places where the Apostle Paul preached the story of Jesus to thousands of first-time hearers would have been poignant at any time. But now there was an unexpected dimension.

Suddenly, we were no longer just spectators on long-gone history. We were participants in history being made. American fighter planes buzzed over our ship day and night. Warships cruised past. Newspapers flaunted healines about impending war. Tension hung heavy in some ports.

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