A Journey Of Faith

It was a beautiful and hot summer day on the Greek Mediterranean island.

In the legendary realms of Greece lies a small emerald green island called Thasos.

The island itself is famous for its beauty and its ancient culture, and just like the whole country of Greece, this tiny island is deeply embedded with mesmerizing tales of ancient mythology.

On this beautiful evergreen island of Thasos, surrounded by mountains and its clear crystal Aegean sea waters, lies a waterfall known by the locals as Maries. Thus, on a beautiful, hot summer day, I have decided to start my long, over two hundred mile journey.

A long walk solely on foot to discover the whereabouts of the famous waterfall.

This journey has led me to a deeper understanding of God and the meaning of life on earth.

I headed out slowly on foot on a Sunday morning, towards the waterfalls of Maries on the green emerald island of Thasos.

I have heard many stories of Thasos Island's waterfall, yet little has been known about it; most visitors of this island often neglected this location or never even heard of it in the first place.

I have prepared myself with a bottle of water, but since Sunday for me, it’s a fasting day, I haven’t packed any food with me to sustain my physical and mental efforts for this day.

On this typical hot Mediterranean summer day on Thasos island, my journey started from the small village city of Potos, Thasos, heading for the Maries waterfall.

I have stopped occasionally a few times on the way to admire the surrounding sights of Thasos island or capture everlasting moments with my camera.

My walk has led me by the edges of Potos city, which lies almost at the foot of the Aegean shores. Then, through the fairly large city of Limenaria, I made a turn to the right at one point, where I continued my journey on foot on a much narrower and rarely circulated road towards Maries waterfalls.

On my way there, I noticed a small sign that showed the way to Thasos Island's waterfall; therefore, upon noticing it, I headed in the direction the sign pointed.

On my journey, I have encountered the many mesmerizing beauties of Thasos island, with its traditional Greek culture and traditions and spectacular views.

As I was slowly advancing on my walk on the Greek mountain path, the hot summer weather was getting more and more difficult to bear. I was taking small sips of water and saving some, as there were no water springs along the way.

Thasos island's rocky path beyond the city of Limenaria seemed longer and more exhausting, as the hot Mediterranean summer sun was burning its rays upon the Greek island.

I was accompanied by Thasos's lush green olive trees on both sides of the road, infused with the sweet aroma of the Mediterranean scent.

I had only a few sips of water left in my bottle, and I started to feel really tired, as I still hadn't encountered any water spring on the way.

At one point, I had some rocky mountain peaks in sight, and the road seemed to get more rugged with each step I made.

As I was advancing on foot, the whole Mediterranean road was getting more rugged and dusty as well.

I kept going on foot, but my legs ached, and my whole body felt dry and exhausted as I ran out of water. The Greek Mediterranean sun was burning, and I was sweating considerably.

Flashes of worry have invaded my thoughts as I kept going and praying to make it to the waterfall.

It was at this point that I got really emotional, and my eyes filled with tears. At this moment, something happened that I cannot explain to this day. A deep inner sense of love.

A message that I have felt and received. I took out my notebook that I was always carrying in my backpack and wrote down the message:

Just as the Holy Divine Source, the Christ, has embodied into the material world as Jesus, the man has fallen from the Divine Source and from an angel; he has become the son of Man.

The Son of Man can bear many burdens, but the Son of God can bear anything.

The living God within the man supports the son of man, the matter, to bear anything at all.

All human beings possess this knowledge, but humanity has forgotten it.

All humans have something to teach, either consciously or unconsciously.

Therefore, never judge anyone, as all human beings possess the inner wisdom received from the Holy Source.

The living God within each human is Love itself, and this is what the Son of Man, the matter, must learn in life.

My Lord, teach the Son of Man what true love really is. Amen.

This was the message I received at that moment of complete exhaustion and desperation. At this very moment, after I had received the message, I felt a deep sense of peace from within, and the chatter of my mind had disappeared.

It is true what they say, that in moments of hardship and trials, God speaks to those that listen.

It was a moment of pure joy and serenity for me, a moment that gave me enough strength to continue my remaining journey.

Shortly after I received this message, I encountered a mountain spring on the way, lying right at the foot of the rugged Mediterranean mountain. Right there at Thasos Island's water spring, I filled my bottle of water, and I sipped from the spring with both my hands. I headed forward on foot on an offbeat path.

The end of the path has led me to a small Greek village, where a local woman was selling honey, one of the most precious nectars of Thasos Island.

Then, slightly down the road, I have encountered a fairly large lake, with green crystal waters and its shores covered in green moss.

A large and old wood trunk was resting right at the side of the green lake. I sat on the old fallen wood trunk to rest for a while.

As it turned out shortly, I had arrived at the beginning of the waterfall of Thasos Island.

A barely visible small sign along the Mediterranean road pointed towards the main waterfall, with two words written on it: Elf’s Cove.

Imagine my surprise when I was reading this sign, which had nothing to do with Maries waterfall's name, as it is locally known.

It was like magic. A few more steps forward and a few rocky walls to climb, and I was there. A magical place of crystal green-colored waters, with a large tree’s huge roots growing everywhere in the ground. It was like a small clearing depicted in fairy tales.

The whole waterfall itself was pouring into several little ponds, divided by rocky steps. At the main waterfall area, another small oak tree was growing. The wet rocky wall of the waterfall was covered in deep green moss everywhere.

Small cave-like holes were visible on the wall, nearly overgrown by green moss. I remembered the written words on the sign at the waterfall’s entrance: Elf’s Cove.

Mesmerizing. Magical. It was like the fairies and the elements of nature had come together to create a holy sanctuary for the weary wanderer.

So it was. Truly a resting place for the body and the soul. Among these magical wonders of the natural elements, right by one of the waterfall's pools, I have also noticed a colorful lizard. It was resting right on the rocky wall of the water pond.

I grabbed my camera to immortalize it, but at that moment it almost disappeared. In my mind, I immediately thought of a magical fairy, who appeared to me in the shape of a lizard. Oh, but the colors of it. A sight one cannot forget.

I have never seen a lizard with so many colors on its skin before. Even the name of this beautiful place told a story of long ago, in an age of wonders and magic.

I was mesmerized by the beauty of the place and how it soothed my tired body and soul.

I have rested here for quite a while in the shade of an enormous tree as I was baffled by its spiderweb-like roots, growing everywhere. This almost ancient oak tree's roots were growing deep in the ground, and they were showing up on the surface of the ground.

Such beauty. Such magic. The human world is filled with such wonders, but in our arrogance and our constant chase of fame and fortune, we tend to ignore such splendors most of the time.

What a shame.

In this magical place, I have pondered about the meaning of life, and all the otherworldly matters seemed so dull and insignificant all of the sudden.

Fully rested and with a truly peaceful feeling within, I have slowly prepared myself to head back to Thasos's island city of Potos so I can arrive back before nightfall.

The journey back on foot seemed lighter and much easier, like an easy walk. I felt a deep feeling of gratitude and appreciation for what beauty truly is.

On my way back to Potos, as I was walking back on foot on the rugged Mediterranean terrain, I was contemplating the natural beauty of Thasos Island with its deeply embedded ancient culture and traditions.

I arrived right before nightfall in Potos city, with a constant easiness in my body and mind.

Such is the manner of faith. Such is the manner of love.

It is in a way ironic that in certain trying moments of life, we are reminded of the true values that matter the most.

Love for another. Love and respect for our Mother Earth, who shares her precious gifts with humanity.

Such journeys are reminders of the wisdom of the living God within and a powerful tool for forging and strengthening our faith.

This is the true story of my journey. A story of faith and love.

A story that I hope will inspire others to search for the true meaning of life and discover its hidden wonders.