Busses Full of Annoying Tourists

After months of organizing, traveling on planes for what felt like days, dealing with jet lag, and riding a bus into the countryside, I stood at the site of ancient Corinth. I was excited to visit the city where Paul lived and worked, the city of the New Testament. The town now consists of ruins—well preserved and walkable.

I strolled through the foundations, and contemplated the bema seat of judgement. I savored the moment as I imagined what life must have been like for Paul and Priscilla and Aquila and Sosthenes and other members of the growing faith community. Where did they make their tents?

Then the busses arrived. At first I was annoyed, which really wasn’t fair, since our group arrived on a bus as well. But I liked having the place to myself. As dozens of noisy South Korean tourists descended in two enormous groups, chattering the whole time, I grew super annoyed. Can’t they quiet down?

I turned back to my spiritual experience, ignoring them as best I could—until I heard soft singing from the other side of the ruined city. Not in English, but in Korean, the words amazing grace, how sweet the sound…infused the area.

A hundred or more tourists surrounded the tree you see pictured above. They sang Amazing Grace with reverence, along with several other hymns. I teared up, as I do now writing this. The Holy Spirit jabbed my heart, and I stood rooted, joining my fellow followers of Jesus—from the other side of the world—worshipping on holy ground.

Convicted? Of course, how stupid of me. I constantly find myself annoyed by people—not the best attitude in a missionary.

I spent lots of time and energy and money to get to Corinth, to experience a place where the Christian faith took root, to contemplate the legacy of Paul.

Then, the Lord graciously displayed that legacy with busloads of beautiful, musical Koreans.

Praise God.

I Corinthians 1 in week thirty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover