Enjoyed breakfast this morning with fellow church planter, Ellis Prince. Ellis is doing a great work planting The Gallery Church in east Baltimore. Ellis recently returned from a 10-day trip to Egypt and had a fascinating experience. At one point he visited a Monastery which has existed since 300AD. Imagine that! Shortly before Rome became a “Christian” nation this monastic community was founded in the deserts of Egypt. I would love to have conversations with the founding and early monks regarding their thoughts on the state of so called “Christian” Rome/Crusades, etc. Anyways, here is what Ellis wrote about the monastery on his blog. Check out his blog, Together Baltimore, for his Egypt journals.
This monastery dates back to 300 AD and is a tribute (I believe) to the Disciple turned Gospel writer, Mark. He inspired Egyptians to trust in Jesus and that trust led to a Coptic Monastic movement that birthed this amazing place. I know I’m in Egypt and I should use Arabic, but I’m tired and not really very smart (I fake it) so I will use a Hebrew word for this place… “Shalom.” This word encompasses the peace of Creation before sin entered it. The peace of God to Man, Man to Creation, and Creation to God – not just peace in war, but a harmony that is played when things are the way they were intended.
