THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996 TAG: 9607170162
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 75 lines
THE REV. MARK L. BURNS and his wife, Heather, returned from an eight-day tour of Greece and Turkey just in time to celebrate the Fourth of July with their church family at Oakland Christian Church in Chuckatuck.
Addressing the congregation, Burns said, ``It only takes one trip outside the country to bring home the reality of how blessed we are here in the United States of America!''
Burns related how he's learned from traveling abroad to appreciate the little things in life - a hot shower whenever desired, water pressure above a trickle and choices in food and beverages.
But the Burnses said they returned with greater appreciation for ``the greatest gift we take for granted, freedom.''
He told of the chilling sight, throughout Greece and Turkey, of heavily armed police and soldiers and their armored vehicles. ``The sight of gleaming Uzis in the morning is quite a dose of reality, or at least the reality of how the vast majority of the world lives,'' Burns stated.
On July 4, the couple enjoyed the neighborhood fireworks and festivities in Crittenden with renewed zeal for the freedom of their homeland.
Burns also brought home a deeper enthusiasm for history. ``It's quite an experience to walk where Paul walked and to be at these places you read about in history and Scripture,'' he said.
The Burnses toured Greece and Turkey by day and ate and slept aboard their cruise ship at night while traveling from port to port. Mark and Heather were joined by his father, aunt and uncle and three brothers and their spouses for this vacation, which served as a Burns family reunion as well.
On the island of San Torini, the Burnses climbed mountainous terrain that was formed by a volcanic eruption around 1500 B.C. ``When this volcano blew, it changed civilization throughout the Greek islands,'' Burns noted. ``This event literally changed kingdoms and the geo-political future of this area.''
In Crete, they found fascinating archaeological treasures and museums. ``The beautiful Grecian urns, with their black facades picturing athletes and Greeks carrying out their daily chores, it's absolutely wonderful stuff,'' Burns noted.
In Athens, it was like ancient history courses in college come-to-life. Burns stood at the spot of the ancient Colossus of Rhodes and among the ruins of the Parthenon and Acropolis. He visited the Crusader Castle and walked over its surrounding moat to the modern city outside its ancient stone walls.
In Turkey, Burns marveled at the Basilica of the Church of St. John and in Ephesus he was struck by the ruins of the Temple of Diana, a Moslem mosque and a Christian shrine - ``all within a stone's throw of each other.''
``I had a sense of when Paul and others traveled and preached in this area It makes it all the more amazing to me that Paul converted so many to Christianity.''
Climbing ``Mars Hill'' where Paul stood to address the Athenians, Burns was struck by the courageous boldness of the apostle. ``What impressed me was he went right downtown, right into the major marketplace, to preach to a people already worshiping unknown gods.''
The items of antiquity and religious and archaeological sights of Greece and Turkey captured Burns' appreciation of ancient artists and craftsmen. He traced with interest the development of sculpturing from simple, rigid lines to the elegant and picturesque. To him the bright, colorful mosaics and elaborate jewelry reflect the advanced artistic skills of these ancient civilizations. ``The carvings and relief work are simply magnificent,'' Burns pointed out.
``Now as I read the Book of Acts and Paul's letters to the Ephesians, I can actually picture the community he was addressing,'' Burns reminisced. ``And I wonder about his letters from imprisonment: Did he have a view from his prison? Did he look out and yearn to visit those places again?
``This trip has certainly primed the pump for further study,'' Burns said. ``One day I'd like to retrace Paul's missionary journeys.''
In the meantime, Burns and his wife continue to enjoy their nearly three years of service at Oakland Christian Church and, whenever they find the time, visit local historical sights and ``antiquing.'' ILLUSTRATION: The Rev. Mark Burns and his wife Heather visited
Greece and Turkey. by CNB