(This is the first of several short entries about the recent trip my wife Regina and I took to visit the sites of ancient Mediterranean cultures in Europe… sort of a reflective travelog.)

Some five thousand years ago, Atlantis flourished in northern Europe, with its capital, Basilae, located near the modern-day island of Helgoland. Longboats with ferocious-looking animal heads carved into the bow sailed southward from Atlantis, not only spreading their culture among the civilizations flourishing along the Mediterranean coast, but also pillaging and carrying home vast riches.

Regina and I took a trip last month in those same Mediterranean sea lanes. It was a 12-day cruise by Holland America, but there was no pillaging… unless you take into account the value of the dollar and the high prices in Europe that we Americans have to pay over there nowadays.

Oh, well, the tables continue to turn….

I read a great book during the cruise: Lustrum, a historical novel by Robert Harris about the life and times of the ancient Roman leader Cicero, a contemporary of the more famous Julius Caesar. The compelling story weaves in vivid descriptions of the social conditions of the time—mobs of self-indulged citizens surging behind power-hungry politicians who promised them more liberties and properties… generally at the expense of a strong, cohesive Rome. You see, the politicians weren’t making promises to the people for the people’s sake, but to get public support for their own narrow agendas. The story unfolds in the first century BC, a time of social decay that eventually led to the decline and fall of the Empire.

While visiting the coliseum in Rome with Regina, I got chills on my back as I was able to relive those ancient times of the great empire… and I naturally thought of the many parallels between Rome then and the USA now… between the wise Cicero then and the equally wise Obama now.

Like Cicero, Obama is fully committed to do what’s best for the country, while his opponents are committed to do what’s in the best interest of themselves and the small circle of privileged people around them. They’ve learned through history how to stir up the masses with empty promises of lower taxes and greater prosperity… not for the good of the people, but to get themselves voted into power so they can get richer and more powerful. The same thing was happening in Rome, led by Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey—three rich, powerful men driven solely by the desire to be in charge… with no real concern about the fate and well-being of Rome and its citizens. In fact, many of their policies severely weakened the empire. Sound familiar? The Ciceros and Obamas of this world often get pushed aside by the ruthless self-interests of their opponents.

During most of the shore excursions I tried to reflect on the ancient cultures through the eyes of angels who’ve followed our world for thousands of years, and who were in close contact with our INIT group from 1995 to 2000. If our ITC channels hadn’t closed down, I’d have loved to hear them talk of those ancient cultures, and how things looked from their perspective as empires rose and fell amid political intrigue and military campaigns. What would they have thought and felt about the noble-savage pursuits of the humans and their social systems? Which political leaders would they have resonated with, and how were they able to offer their support to humanity during those turbulent times?

(to be continued…)