At one time there were a lot of Christians in Turkey. In fact, the apostle Paul had planted some of the earliest churches like Ephesus and Antioch in that country which is today 99% Muslim. So where did the Christians go? Simply stated, I guess they were bullied out. In fact, the Christians and followers of other religions in Turkey are in hiding for fear of their lives. How ironic that Saint Nick would be beheaded in his own country today.

I used to live around the Washington, DC area in my college days and I’d been to the Smithsonian Museum and the different monuments. But it never occurred to me that this is the town where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. So to my delight and surprise I found out, through a museum information booth, that the original Ford Theater where he was shot and the house where he died had been preserved all these years and it was just a few blocks away.

There is majesty in the design and size of the buildings. And there is serenity in the open spaces. There is endless variety in the themes of each exhibit. There are priceless paintings, sculptures and furniture that remind you of the hardship of eras long gone by that brought about the birth of a new nation. Different ethnicities --- African, Asian, European, South American --- cry out to be heard. Fossils, stuffed animals/birds and insects reminded me of Noah's ark; while airplanes and rocket ships made me wonder what else God has hidden for us to discover.