When I have been sitting in my chair just waiting to finally get through the night and to reach Rhodes I’ve been watching the economy debate on channel MEGA. In Greek. It’s actually not that hard to get the hang of. At least to understand the bigger picture. So now I can say that it is actually just NOT all Greek to me…;-)The situation in Greece and Cyprus is tricky, to say the least. And the opinions of what would be the smartest move for the politicians is debated quite hard. The obvious reason for that is of course to maintain balance of everything and maybe most of all prevent fascism, xenophobia and mistrust. The Greeks are struggling hard to get it right.

When I step ashore later today on the historically important island of Rhodes I will have accomplished the symbolic reclaim that I was seeking to do. When I try to think about any parallells to our situation today I come to the conclusion that nothing has really changed. The universal need for respect and understanding is just as important today as it ever was. When the ancestors within the order built the hospital outside the city walls of Jerusalem it was open to everyone in need. It didn’t matter where you came from or what you believed in. It is easy to see an important part of the message Jesus wanted us to understand in this. Treat everyone else the way you yourself want to be treated. Our ancestors did it and we do it. That is one little bit of my order’s motto:

Atavis Et Armis!