Faith Beyond Borders: Walking in the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece
There is something deeply moving about reading Scripture in the places where the stories actually unfolded.
A verse you may have read many times suddenly takes on geography. A name becomes a city. A journey becomes a road. And the people we encounter in Scripture begin to feel less distant.
This was one of the most striking experiences during the recent Archdiocese of Accra pilgrimage to Greece, led by Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Accra, under the theme In the Footsteps of St. Paul.
I had the privilege of curating the journey, and although I had spent months working through the itinerary, logistics and spiritual experiences we wanted to create, there are some things no itinerary can prepare you for.
Standing where the Apostle Paul preached is one of them.
The journey began in Thessaloniki, a city rich in both biblical and historical significance. Named after Thessalonike, the half-sister of Alexander the Great and daughter of King Philip II of Macedon, the city later became an important centre of Paul’s ministry.
It was here that Paul preached, established an early Christian community and later addressed believers through his letters to the Thessalonians.
From Thessaloniki, our journey followed the biblical landscape through Philippi, Kavala, ancient Neapolis, Lydia’s Baptistery, Berea, Meteora, Athens, Corinth and Cenchreae.
Suddenly, the Acts of the Apostles was no longer simply a book we were reading.
We were travelling through it.
When Scripture acquires geography
One of the most moving moments came at Lydia’s Baptistery in Philippi.
Along the riverside, where Acts 16 records Paul meeting Lydia and a group of women gathered in prayer, we paused to worship and reflect on a story many of us had read countless times.
Lydia is remembered as one of the first converts to Christianity in Europe. Standing in that setting made us think about hospitality, openness to God and the quiet but significant role ordinary people can play in the growth of faith communities.
Nearby, we visited the traditional site associated with the imprisonment of Paul and Silas in Philippi.
Their story is extraordinary. Imprisoned, beaten and confined, yet still able to pray and worship.
It made us think about what faith looks like when circumstances are not favourable.
In Thessaloniki, we also visited the traditional site associated with Jason, the man who welcomed Paul and Silas into his home despite the risks involved.
His story has always fascinated me because it reminds us that not everybody’s contribution to ministry will be public. Some people carry the work quietly through hospitality, loyalty, resources, support and sacrifice behind the scenes.
Berea offered another kind of reflection.
The Bereans are remembered in Acts 17 for receiving the message eagerly while examining the Scriptures for themselves. Their story remains a reminder that faith and thoughtful enquiry can sit comfortably together.
From cities to silence
Then came Meteora.
The rhythm of the journey changed.
Rising dramatically from the Thessalian landscape, the monasteries of Meteora seem almost suspended between earth and sky. For centuries, they have been places of prayer, contemplation and solitude.
After moving through cities, archaeological sites and roads associated with Paul, Meteora offered something different: Silence.
And sometimes silence is as necessary to a journey as movement.
It reminded us that meaningful travel does not always have to be about moving quickly from one attraction to the next. There must also be room to stop, reflect and absorb what you have experienced.
Athens: where faith met ideas
In Athens, we stood at the Areopagus, where the Apostle Paul addressed the thinkers and philosophers of his time.
With the Acropolis above us and ancient Athens around us, Acts 17 became remarkably vivid.
Paul entered a sophisticated intellectual environment and found a way to communicate faith within the language and questions of the people before him.
That still matters today.
Faith does not exist outside culture, education, business, travel or intellectual life. It enters those spaces and engages them.
One of my convictions when curating a faith journey is that people should not simply see places.
They should experience them.
So we deliberately incorporated elements of Greek culture that opened deeper conversations around Scripture and Christian symbolism.
In Naousa, a region renowned for its Xinomavro wine and vineyard culture, we visited a winery.
Wine runs richly through biblical imagery, from celebration and hospitality to Christ’s first miracle at Cana and its place within Christian tradition.
Even the process itself gives you something to reflect on. Grapes are crushed before wine emerges.
Later, on our journey towards Corinth, an olive oil experience opened another conversation.
Throughout Scripture, oil carries images of healing, anointing, consecration and abundance. Again, there was something in the process itself. The olive must be pressed for the oil to emerge.
We also visited a centre of iconography, where we encountered the sacred tradition of religious art. At another stop, a pottery experience naturally led us to the biblical image of the potter and the clay.
These were cultural experiences, but they were intentionally woven into the spiritual journey.
For me, that is what separates purposeful faith travel from ordinary sightseeing.
Corinth was another memorable stop.
Here, we visited the Bema associated with the Apostle Paul and reflected on Acts 18, where Paul himself encountered fear, resistance and discouragement.
It was in Corinth that he received the reassurance:
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you.”
During one of our moments of worship in Corinth, strong winds repeatedly sent papers and other items flying, and everyone found themselves securing whatever they could with stones while trying to maintain some composure.
There was laughter.
But there was also a beautiful thought. Perhaps worship in the days of Paul was not always neat, comfortable or perfectly arranged either.
Corinth itself was a complicated mission field. Wealthy, cosmopolitan and religiously diverse, with competing ideas about morality, freedom and human behaviour.
Yet this was one of the places where Paul stayed and continued building a Christian community.
Standing there, I found myself thinking about how often faith has taken root in difficult circumstances.
Purposeful travel
Throughout the journey, Scripture was revisited within its geographical setting.
But there was also laughter, food, culture, friendship, history and discovery.
That balance matters.
People increasingly want travel to mean something.
For some, that may be heritage tourism. For others, wellness, culture, education or adventure. Biblical and faith-based travel belongs within that wider world of purposeful travel.
A journey can move people physically, but its deepest value lies in what happens internally.
And I believe there is a real opportunity here.
Ghanaians are travelling more widely, and not only for shopping or holidays. There is a growing appetite for journeys that carry meaning, journeys that connect faith, history, culture and experience.
It is within this space that we see an opportunity to offer something different: carefully curated biblical journeys that allow people to encounter the places they have read about in Scripture and experience the stories within their historical and cultural settings.
A new chapter
This experience has now opened an exciting new chapter.
Through a collaboration between Krishna Travels and Esther’s Banquet, we will be creating carefully curated biblical journeys that bring together faith, history, culture and travel.
We begin with WALK THE WORD: Greece, In the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul, giving travellers an opportunity to experience some of the places and stories of Scripture for themselves.
And for me, it is a privilege to bring my experience in curating faith journeys into this collaboration.
The vision is simple.Not merely to take people somewhere, but to help them understand why they are there.
Because after walking through Thessaloniki, Philippi, Berea, Athens and Corinth, one thing became very clear to me.
Scripture was never meant to remain only on the pages.
Sometimes you have to walk through it.
Jasmin Zubida Baidoo
Faith Experience Curator
Founder, Esther’s Banquet
