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JERUSALEM TO ROME
Jerusalem to Rome - in the footsteps of the apostle Paul, will begin on Friday 21st March 2008. Walking almost 800 miles this event will retrace Paul's last missionary journey. During this unusual event, evangelist Clive Cornish will carry a large wooden cross. Clive's cross measures 12ft x 6ft and weighs almost 50 pounds.
To many people this gruelling expedition will be seen as lunacy. But for Clive it provides a unique opportunity to challenge people to think again about the Christian message. 'The cross is a powerful symbol of God's love for each one of us, and I am excited to be following in Paul's footsteps', said Clive.
Clive, who comes from a broken background, knows that it was God's love that rescued him from a life of alcohol, drugs, crime, violence and prison. During this journey Clive will talk to those who ask questions, hand out leaflets to those who show an interest and take time to pray with those who request it.
Clive does not ask for money and has endured both verbal and, at times, physical abuse from those who take exception to the image of the cross. If you are wondering whether he will walk the 800 miles, be reassured, Clive as already walked with his cross from John O'Groats to Land's End - a jjourney of 1000 miles.
The response to this walk was amazing, and Clive is still hearing of lives that were ttouched and changed by the sight of the cross.
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JERUSALEM
Clive and Lathan arrived safely in Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon and have settled into their accommodation close to the Damascus Gate. Over the next few days they plan to explore Jerusalem and the surrounding area and generally absorb the atmosphere of this ancient and wonderful city.
On Sunday (Palm Sunday according to the Latin calendar) they will join the traditional procession from Bethpage (Bet fajee) down into the Old City following the route that Jesus took. This is one of the most important Christian events of the year and tends to be a noisy and joyful affair. Clive intends to walk with the cross.
The walk itself will begin on Good Friday (21st March) and will take Clive out along the coast through Lod (Lydda), Tel Aviv (Joppa), and Caesarea to the port of Haifa.
From here the route is not so certain. Passenger ferries no longer leave from Haifa although it may be possible to travel aboard a cargo ship with Malta as the eventual destination.
Please pray for this extraordinary walk that God will prepare the way. Let us remember especially the Christians here - may Clive be an encouragement to them.
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The first week in Jerusalem has provided a wide variety of experiences as Clive and Lathan spent time visiting different sites including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives and the Garden Tomb, each one uniquely moving.
On Palm Sunday they joined the procession from Bethphage (Bet fajee) down into the Old City, following the route Jesus took when he entered Jerusalem so triumphantly. This was quite an experience and the cross drew a range of mixed reactions from joyful encouragement through bemused stares to deliberate turning away.
On Monday they enjoyed meeting with Charles Clayton, regional Director of World Vision International. Charles, who is based in Jerusalem, was able to give them a fascinating insight into the social, political and religious tensions that exist here.
A meeting with a group of Americans - Southern Baptist Christians from the Carolinas - led to an invitation to a communion service at the Garden Tomb which both found deeply moving.
As daytime temperatures began to climb into the mid thirties (celsius), Clive and Lathan decided to bring the start date forward a day. This would enable them to walk shorter distances in the heat and the relatively short daylight hours - it is almost dark by 6pm. As a result they set off on Thursday 20th March. At around 7.30am they walked to the Garden Tomb and met with the guide who allowed them to enter. Above the entrance is a sign which reads -
'He is not here. He is risen!'
They spent some time in prayer before setting out. From here, they could see Golgotha (The Place of the Skull), a fitting point to begin their journey.
The first day's walking drew many positive responses, particularly from motorists in the traffic queues at the many military checkpoints. At one checkpoint they were questioned by a young Israeli soldier who eventually asked to have his photograph taken with Clive and the cross. He disappeared into his office and returned with two bottles of cold drinking water for them.
After supper at a roadside cafe they settled down under a starry sky for a much needed night's sleep. The next day took them to Tel Aviv.
Please pray that the sight of the cross would convict the hearts of all those who see it. Pray also for safe travel, good health and God's protection.
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ISRAEL
The two days walking from Tel Aviv to Haifa via Caesarea proved to be very eventful. The pair were still receiving mostly postive responses and many people honked their car horns and gave the 'thumbs up' sign from their cars. However, along the road to Haifa they were stopped by the police who instructed them to stop, citing fears for their personal safety as the reason.
Unperturbed, the pair continued until they were stopped again by the same officers. This time they were escorted off the road and had to summon a taxi the last few miles into Haifa.
Here, they wasted no time in contacting the various port authorities and shipping agents to try and secure a passge to Cyprus. They were met with resolute refusals each time. 'It is illegal' came the reply time after time.
By the following afternoon, mindful of their schedule, they decided to return to Tel Aviv and fly to Malta - not the way Paul travelled but at least they were able to continue.
MALTA
They arrived on the island of Malta on Tuesday afternoon and were relieved to find it was a pleasant 22 degrees centigrade, compared with the high thirties they had experienced in Israel.
In Acts 28: 1 Paul writes: 'Once safely on shore we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us an unusual kindness.'
This was certainly Clive and Lathan's experience. They were enthusiastically received and welcomed all over the island and offered drinks and meals. They were also shown old maps of the island and visited St Paul's Bay where Paul's boat was thought to have been shipwrecked, Medina where he met with Publius the island's Governer and St Thomas' Bay, another possible shipwreck site.
The mileages on Malta were significantly lower than the 25-30 miles a day in Israel and the pair were able to spend time visiting the sites of interest as well as local churches.
Clive, in particular, has struggled with the language barriers in Malta where English is not as commonly spoken as it is in Israel. He is a natural communicator and has found it difficult to share God's love with the people in his usual way.
SICILY
On Sunday morning, 30th March, they left Malta and travelled by ferry to Sicily for the next leg of their adventure.
Please continue to pray for good health and give thanks for their safe travel through Israel. Pray, too, that Clive would feel able to communicate with the people of Sicily, and that this will be enhanced by the translated tract they have prepared for this stage of the journey.
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SICILY
Arriving at the historical port of Syracusa in Sicily, the bright sunny weather soon gave way to rain, low cloud and poor visibility. The pace had resumed its normal 25 miles or so each day and the walking was difficult. This seemed to be matched by the mood of the pair who were tired and downcast. By Wednesday the sun had returned and Mt Etna could be seen in all its splendour.
The reception generally in Sicily has been as warm and welcoming as in Malta and there have been many good conversations. In Syracusa they were invited into a secondary school by a Christian teacher who had passed them on her way into work. She described the school, which has a number of challenging pupils, as being 'in the grip of the devil' and as the cross was taken into the school she became very emotional and said she could already feel a difference. With the agreement of the Head Teacher, the pupils were assembled in the main hall and the English teacher translated as Clive talked about his love for Jesus and why he is doing this walk. The pupils listened intently and asked many questions.
Before they left, the Christian teacher called her husband, who works nearby, to come to the school to see the cross for himself.
Sicily brought new challenges in the way of accommodation as there are large areas of fenced off land which are inaccessible, making sleeping out quite difficult. Clive and Lathan did manage to find somewhere to lay their heads and even treated themselves to a B&B when the rain set in!
They were stopped by the local police who good-naturedly explained that they had received a number of telephone calls from the public reporting their activities. They gave some advice about walking along busy roadsides and accepted the translated tracts as well as taking several photographs of the cross. A passing ambulance crew stopped to talk and also accepted their literature.
On Friday the two became three as they were joined by Gary who will now accompany them to Rome in a support car. This meant they were immediately relieved of their heavy rucsacs.
On Saturday the three left Siciliy and sailed to Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland where they begin the long stretch to Rome, some 700km or 450 miles.
During the ferry crossing they were approached by a lady who had seen them earlier in the week and was intrigued by what they were doing.
ITALY
The Italian experience began with more accommodation challenges as the many campsites are still closed. Fortunately they managed to find a suitably sheltered site overlooking the sea with stunning views down the coastline. The first day's walking in Italy has been very encouraging with many opportunities to witness to some enthusiastic believers.
Early on in the day they were passed by a lady in a car who met them a few miles down the road with freshly prepared breakfast rolls from her cafe. Later on a man stopped and asked if he could take a photo of Clive with the cross. He produced a mobile phone and took his picture. A little later he reappeared with a camera and took more photos. Later still, he returned again to buy them some food as they were sitting at a roadside cafe. Later on Sunday, Lathan had to stop walking due to a mysterious and painful swelling on his ankle. Pray for quick healing.
Please continue to pray that God would use the cross to touch the hearts and minds of all those who see it. Pray especially for the school in Syracusa, that God would move in that place, touching and transforming lives. Please also pray for continuing good health and fitness to continue this walk.
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The past few days have continued to provide many opportunities to talk and to share God's love. It has also been a time for receiving as Clive, in particular, has proved a real hit with the Italian ladies! He has been given many gifts of food and drink as he's been walking along, and some have asked him to pray for their children. He also seems to be having a similar effect on local businessmen, some of whom have been giving Clive T-shirts and hats bearing their company logos.
Clive has been feeling strong and enjoying the walking, although broken wheel bearings caused a problem one lunchtime. As Clive settled down for a much needed tea break, Lathan and Gary drove to a bicycle repair shop they had passed a few miles back. The woman in the shop asked them to return later that afternoon when her husband would be back. The pair explained that they did not really have time to come back and gave her a translated tract as they explained what the wheel was for. She smiled, rolled up her sleeves and set about repairing the wheel herself. By the time Clive had finished his tea, they were back with the mended wheel plus some spare parts the woman had thrown in for good measure!
By Wednesday the weather had warmed up and the boys stopped at the Old America Hotel near Falerna Marina to ask for a cold drink. They were told that the hotel was actually closed following damage caused by a severe storm several weeks ago. The proprieter was Italian, his wife French and their daughter had spent some time studying fashion photography in London and spoke excellent English. This wonderful family not only offered them cold drinks but also let them use the shower facilities and agreed they could camp on their private bit of beach that night. The daughter later appeared to invite them to eat with the family. They arrived to find a table had been set in the courtyard and enjoyed a sumptious feast of home made spaghetti bolognaise, bread and locally produced red wine. Afterwards, the remaining wine was poured into a bottle for them to take away. Please pray for this family that they would be blessed for such amazing hospitality and, on a more serious note, that they would be able to resolve the ongoing dispute with their insurance company as to who is responsible to pay for the storm damage repairs so they can open their hotel again.
The police again took an interest in Clive and the cross when an important-looking Commissioner passed by on his way to an official function. He stopped to ask what Clive was doing and drove on. He returned a little while later with a camera and proceeded to organise a photoshoot, with himself at the centre!
Lathan's foot is slowly improving and he hopes to resume walking with Clive in a couple of days. Meanwhile he has been trying to teach Gary 'the ropes' of being a support driver! Gary is wild and undisciplined, preferring to enjoy the scenery! Can't really blame him!
Please keep praying for this walk - God is clearly at work and touching many, many people. Give thanks for all that He is doing and especially for His protection so far.
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On saturday morning as the three were packing up their camp, they got into conversation with a man who seemed very interested in the walk. He showed them a copy of that morning's newspaper 'Il Quotidiano della Calabria' which sported a picture of Clive on the front page and an accompanying article inside. The man fetched his friends for the now inevitable photo-opportunity and insisted on buying coffee all round - espresso which apparently made Clive's eyes water! He proceeded to tell anyone who would listen all about Clive and the walk from Jerusalem to Rome.
Clive and co were intrigued about the newspaper article, bought a copy and wished one of them could read it! Later on they met up with some men who had also read it and seemed very informed, not only about this walk, but also about previous walks as well as Clive's personal story, suggesting it was a fairly accurate piece.
Clive had a moving encounter with a deaf couple. Here he describes the scene in his own words
:'I cried yesterday as a deaf man brought his wife over to feel the cross. He told me as best he could that she was blind and deaf but I didn't really understand till he held her hand and guided it down my face. He then pulled it to the crossbar of the cross and lifted it high. Slowly she smoothed the wood downwards, then he pulled her to the top and walked her half way down, passing me. I was filling up and had to look away. The expression on her face said so much! He gave me a euro and said thank you in his distorted way and walked off. I continued walking, too - crying. We have a long way to go, but we are getting there. My hope is that you will know God's love by our effort to bring a message. It's the simple message the blind and deaf woman gave me with her expression. Jesus died on the cross because he loves us. he loves you!'
The cross speaks itself of the greatest love - more than any words ever could. Two teachers who walked along with Clive encouraged him by saying 'We need more people like you to come here and tell us the truth.'
The truth is in Jesus' declaration: 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the father except through me.' (John 14:6)
By Tuesday night the trio had reached Sapri, a little way short of Poderia, and after ten nights under canvas, settled in at a modest B&B for a good night's sleep.
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The view of the coastline has been temporarily lost as the walkers follow a long, straight road approaching Salerno. There are reminders everywhere of the American landings in 1943 and gun emplacements and pill boxes adorn the countryside.
The intersections along this road are frequented by prostitutes. One woman approached Clive and he gestured up to the sky and placed his hand over his heart to tell her Jesus loves her. She smiled and thanked him and returned to her next business meeting with a client.
Gary and Lathan had an adventure of their own when they were approached one morning by three men in sunglasses in a 4x4 vehicle. The men held out a little wooden sign from the car's tinted window saying 'carabinieri' or local police. They proceeded to ask lots of questions about who they were and why they were there. Eventually, satisfied with Lathan's explanations, they jumped out for the obligatory photo shoot, though not before checking themselves out in the car mirrors and fixing their hair!! Earlier, they had taken pictures of Clive walking with the cross on their mobile phones. Carabinieri? Hmmmm.
On their rest day this week the three headed for the Amalfi coast, looking for a decent camping spot. Despite it's attraction as a top tourist area it isn't good camping ground as the cliffs with their lemon groves drop steeply down to the sea. After much searching they decided to find accommodation and managed to negotiate a heavily discounted price for a room in a posh hotel. You know, the kind where they carry your bags (or rucsacs) up to your room and park your (rather smelly) car.
Gary commented that he had read a Bible in the hotel room from Matthew 8:20 where Jesus talks about the cost of following him:-
"Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' "
This caused the three to feel guilty and they were back under the stars the next night. Their rest day was spent exploring the fascinating ruins of Pompeii, destroyed when Mt Vesuvius erupted nearly two thousand years ago. Two nights' camping on its slopes caused a few flutters as every noise seemed to be indicative of the next long overdue eruption! Lathan managed to allay their fears by suggesting that a picture of the cross against a background of red-hot, seeping larva would make an excellent front cover for a book!
A second newspaper article has appeared, this time accompanied by the words written on the tract. Praise God that many more people will read those words.
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The group have now passed through the city of Naples which proved to be a city of huge contasts. Here, the wealthy and powerful live alongside the poor and powerless. Lathan noted the opulence of some parts of the city and compared this with a 'ghetto' to the north which is home to a population of illegal immigrants. These people have no status, no opportunities and very few rights. Many of the women were clearly selling their bodies and most would not engage in conversation.
Lathan spoke of the utter despair and lack of hope he saw in these people. He said it was as if there was no light in their eyes. Pray for this community, that God would break through and bring his light and his hope.
During the week the three were entertained by the Catchpole family who run a house church in Pozzouli (Puteoli). Alec Catchpole has lived and worked here for some years and is married with two children. They showed wonderful hospitality to three weary and dusty travellers, and had arranged a meeting of their church as an encouragement. After a delicious meal the three played touch rugby in the garden with the children - an experience that helped ease the pangs of missing their own children back home. In fact, they had such a good time, they went back the following night! Pray for this family and for their church that they will have been encouraged as they have themselves encouraged Clive, Lathan and Gary.
For the first time, the three have passed a road sign stating 'Roma 160km' - a very welcome sight.
Please continue to pray for the last days of this amazing walk, that God will continue to go before them and prepare hearts to receive the cross of Christ.
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The final week of the walk has been characterized by a growing sense of anticipation as the three approached Rome.
During the early part of the week, Clive and Lathan were stopped by two rather eager police officers who informed them they were not permitted to walk along the main roads. Despite Clive's protestations that they had in fact walked the entire route along these main roads, they were instructed to re-route. This was after a considerable wait whilst the officers checked out their passports! The change of route added a fair few miles but there were some good conversations along the way, so God was clearly in control.
Reaching the Appian Way at the Three Taverns (Acts 28) and walking the last miles into Rome along this ancient roadway was very special. Clive reached the steps of the Coliseum at around 6pm on Friday evening. The reactions were very mixed - many people took photographs, others laughed and one German tourist was particularly amused to see a man with a cross outside the Coliseum - the site where so many early Christians were martyred.
The holiday weekend in Rome meant there was not a bed to be found, so the three returned to camp beside the Appian Way.
On Saturday they went site-seeing in this historic capital, visiting the catacombs of San Sebastiano where the remains of St Peter and St Paul were safely stored during the reign of Vespasian. It felt good just to savour the experience of arriving in Rome after their long, long journey.
On Sunday, Clive took up his cross once more and walked from the Coliseum to St Paul's Basilica, the apostle's final resting place. Whilst enjoying a cafe stop, Lathan's pockets were picked by a very well organised gang of smartly dressed men. He gave chase, hotly pursued by a waiter from the cafe, caught up with the offenders and managed to retrieve his passport and wallet. Praise the Lord! This was indeed a timely reminder, if one were needed, of how much this world needs salvation.
The three plan to return home on Monday. Once they have settled back at home, there will be no doubt be much reflection on this extraordinary journey. Please pray for everyone who saw the cross and for everyone who stopped to ask that their hearts would be opened to the truth of God's word. Give thanks, too, for God's unfailing provision and protection throughout the walk.
Gary, who has been reading Rob Bell's 'Velvet Elvis', commented on the truth of Bell's view that Jesus' death on our behalf is once and for all, but that the work of the cross is ongoing in our hearts and minds and souls and lives. Amen!
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LONDON MARATHON
After seven hours running, in hot sunny conditions, Clive completed the London Marathon. The sight of the cross drew interest from runners, spectators and event commentators and many encouraging conversations were held. A picture of Clive running with his cross can be seen on -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6581351.stm
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