Friday, April 12, 2013

Cappadocia and ancient preppers.

Many years ago my wife and I went on a backpacking tour of Greece and Turkey for the Classics portion of her degree. One of the best things about that holiday (BC Before children) was that out of the month we only booked the first night of our accommodation. Years later I can see how useful this was to developing the independence required in a prepper mindset. Too often today we like to always play the safe route which in reality is beyond safe. Even where risks are minimal we tend not to take them. We found only booking the first night invigorating, waking up each day and thinking where will we go today and how long will we stay there for?

After about 20 days traveling we found ourselves arriving in Goreme in Cappadocia.
We arrived at night and it felt like we had landed on another planet. The silhouettes of the buildings with the lights shining from the windows was very eerie. While we were there we went to visit the ancient underground cities in Derinkuyu


In these underground cities they had everything from ventilation, light shafts, wine presses and stables. What impressed me was the protective mindset of these early preppers. Here is a door that could be closed from the inside. This place was very easy to defend.
 The reason I have posted this is that many people I come across in the prepper world are only ever thinking of me and mine and mouths to feed. Although this is important so is the community of the pack. You see the efficiency of wolves hunting and working as a pack or the African hunting dog. Community prepping is one of the harder things to prep for. When in this underground city on a tour, the guide told me that early Christians under persecution used these cities to hid as communities from the Romans. I did not read this on the wiki article on these cities but it is what I was told.

At the moment I am reading a book when I get the chance called:

 The Territorial Imperative. I found this book in the bibliography of Tracking, Signs of man signs of hope.

Tracking, signs of man signs of hope, is a fairly good tracking book and one that I am glad to have on my book shelf.

For me there is the difficulty of being a Christian. I think of the verse that tells us to go the second mile.

 Mathew Chapter 5
40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

This really flies in the face of hording loads of food for you and yours. Another aspect of the prepping mindset is that for many it goes into a mindset of fear. This is also a challenge to the Christian who also wants to prep and be careful for the future as my fear should only be for God, rather than that of man. 

The Gospel of Mathew also points out in chapter 10

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Does this then mean that a Christian should not be a prepper, I say no. The best example I can think of is the dream that Joseph interpreted for Pharoah in Genesis 41

Here is a small excerpt:  

33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

In short I would summarize this post as saying, develop friendships and communities, do not live in fear but be sensible and prepare for the unexpected.

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