The Bus Ride

Above Picture: While we worship at the park, Turkish youth gather around to listen and talk with us.

Saturday, May 3, 2008, part of our team left Izmir, Turkey with our contacts to help with a birthday, while the rest of us went to the memorial service for the death of a Turkish Christian who was murdered one year ago (along with two others). Our way there was quite the experience.

First, we know we have to take the 1:00 p.m. ferry to Konak to get to the bus depot (no problem—done that before). Then we have to get on a specific bus at 2:00 p.m. This is where it gets tricky. Our pastor wrote instructions IN TURKISH for us to show the bus driver so he would know where to stop the bus (I do not know what the note says), and so I show it to our Turkish speaking (no English, mind you) bus driver, and he nods. Okay, so I think we are set.

We wind through the city to places I have never seen before, gazing out the windows, but not really worried—yet. But it seems to be taking longer and longer, and I begin to wonder (as the responsible one for my team), “Are we on the right bus? Did we miss our stop? Does the bus driver understand the note?” The driver motions and speaks to me in Turkish—I have no idea what he says. But when he stops next and by interpreting his charade-like gestures and assuming what his Turkish words are, he says, "Get off now, and get on that bus over there." (Just to give you a picture of what this looks like, imagine our driver, an older than middle-aged but not quite elderly man, with mostly dark, but graying hair. He is rolly, wrinkly, and weathered on his face, and he looks like he is more that just sitting on but he is melded to his seat, slouched over and encompassing the entire area of the driver's side.) At this, I am thinking, "What is he saying? Ack!! What is he saying?" But we all get off the bus anyway onto a street surrounded by tall apartment buildings--obviously, there is no cemetery in sight in this residential area. And then I discover that there is a bus across the street waiting for us, which is heading in the direction we came from. Our gruff, dear bus driver had flagged down a passing bus for us to ride!

As we wind back through the city I am thinking that at least we will make it back to the bus depot and not be lost anymore. My girl students tell me that they like the "great bus adventure." And I am a bit fatigued with getting us lost with no translator in a Turkish city. But as it nears 3:00 p.m. and Pastor Can, I am sure, thinks we will miss the service or be late (he told us specifically not to be late), I see stone crosses behind a stonewall! I get excited and know it's a small Christian cemetery (there is a large Muslim cemetery across the road), and the bus pulls over and lets us off. We walk into the gate at 3:00 or 3:01. Pastor Can is waiting expectantly. Now we stand in the beating sun, our skin growing redder minute by minute, watching people we do not know, listening to words we do not understand, nor understanding what it feels like to lose a loved one because he believed in Jesus.

This martyr reminds me of another martyr 2,000 years ago, Stephen in Acts 6-7, who was killed for his faith in Jesus Christ. When faced with false accusations, he did not ignore the Holy Spirit. But Stephen preached boldly to his accusers, testifying of the tapestry of love and salvation God has brought to prepare the Way for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, our sins are forgiven, and we are made righteous, able to come into personal and direct relationship with the triune, holy God.

What must this person have been thinking before death? Maybe, I can imagine that he was full of the Holy Spirit like Stephen, able to forgive his enemies in the face of death and seeing the Hope set before him--Jesus at the right hand of God. This overwhelms and compels me to share this gift, which God desires each person to have, what this man, Stephen, and I will inherit for eternity--access to God on His throne. How is God moving you? I pray He moves you to seek Him more deeply and live out this gift of Life so others may know Him!