To view "In Search of the Messianic Secret - Caesarea Phillipi," click here.
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To view "Caesarea Maritima as Kown to Saint Paul" click here.
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To read "A Reflection of Jerusalem & the New Jerusalem from the Ground," click here.
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To view Group photos of Cincinnati Pilgrims in Jerusalem click here.
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To view "Confession of a Gentile in Jerusalem: The Paradox of the 5 Shekel Blessing" click here.
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To view "Into the Heat of the Hebron Cauldon," click here.
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To view "Pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Birthplace of Jesus," click here.
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To read "The Wilderness of Abraham, Jesus & Israel- Palestine," click here.
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To view "Herodion: A Fortress During the Gospels," click here.
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To view "The Call for Simon Peter, Fisherman," click here.
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To read "Descending to the Dead Sea and Ascending to Qumran," click here.
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To read "Jury for Jericho," click here.
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To view "The Empty Tombs," click here.
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Photography on this page by Charleston C. K. Wang, Shirley Wang, or Arthur Wang Copyright 2010-2012 All Rights Reserved Charleston C. K. Wang, Esq., Publisher
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To view "The Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations," click here.
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To view "Two Very Different Houses" click here.
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An Independent Source of News & Views
To read:
"The Holy
Isle of
Patmos,
click here
S U F I S R U M I K O N Y A
S U F I S R U M I K O N Y A
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (Persian: جلالالدین محمد بلخى) (September 30, 1207 – December 17, 1273) popularly known as Mevlānā in Turkey, and as Rumi in the West, lived
most of his life in the City of Konya. He is called Rumi because he gained renown as a poet living in the Selçuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia which once was part of the
Eastern Roman Empire. Rumi was a Persian poet, Muslim jurist, and Sufi mystic. Sufism, or originally taṣawwuf (Arabic: تصوّف), is defined by the practice of the inner, mystical
dimension of Islam. Sufism began in the seventh century as a response to the worldly materialism of the Umayyad Caliphate and Sufis trace their precepts to the Prophet of
Islam. Sufis strive to repair the heart and to turn it away from all else but God. Stated alternately, the effort is to purify oneself of contamination, in order to travel into the
presence of God, even by quelling the self and developing sufficient ardor or love as to attain union with the Divine. To the Sufi elect, ultimately there is nothing but God -
la mawjuda illallah and tawhīd (the oneness or unity of God) becomes the unity of and with God, there being nothing else (to one whose first university degree was in
chemical engineering from the quantitative school at University of Delaware this statement has the simple yet perfect elegance of a mathematical calculus theorem). Rumi
taught that such union is attainable through poetry, music, singing, and dance. He is the founder of Mevlevi Order of Sufis and his tomb is now the Mevlana Museum of
Konya, Turkey, which we visited on May 3, 2012 as part of the St. George's College in Jerusalem course entitled "St. Paul and the Early Church in Turkey. " For the devout,
the site is a holy shrine. Rumi's writings have transcended human boundaries and continues to be widely read in the world - in 2007 he was described as the most popular
poet in America. The Mevlevi liturgy manifests in the Sama Ceremony, otherwise known as the Dance of the Whirling Dervishes. During the dance, accompanied by music
and singing, the Dervish embarks on a mystical journey of the ascent of the mind through love to perfection. The dhikr (remembrance of the names of the Almighty)
becomes prominent. The Dervish appears to levitate as the whirling reaches climax. He then descends and returns in order to serve creation. Sama literally means
"listening,"
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on
a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The Christ Hymn - kenosis - Philippians 2: 5 - 11.
The Question then is: If A => B, then is B => A? Charleston C. K. Wang, 6/2/2012.





S U F I S R U M I K O N Y A
THE BAND STRIKES UP
THE BAND AT REST
On the day of our visit, this Turkish Military Metal Band and a television crew were on site on some special program. At one time attached to the Janissary Corp, such bands (Mehter Takımı), rank amongst the oldest marching bands of the world. It is not clear to me how Rumi would have viewed this music.
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To read:
"Ephesus
of St. Paul
& St.
John",
click here
پارسی گو گرچه تازی خوشتر است — عشق را خود صد زبان دیگر است Say all in Persian even if Arabic is better – Love will find its way through all languages on its own.
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To read:
"Meditating
Medi-
terranean",
click here,
To read:
"Antioch at
Pisidia:
Wrath of
Paul", click
here.