One of the places my ship visited during deployment was Aqaba, Jordan. Because there were still COVID restrictions at the time, we were only allowed to venture as far as the pier, where some local vendors were permitted to sell some of their wares. So, I got to eat a little local food and purchase some small souvenirs. Though we couldn’t go far, we could see far enough to lay eyes on Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia—the countries that surround the Gulf of Aqaba. Where in Greece, near the pier there had been chapels, in Aqaba there were mosques. Limited though the visit was, it yet provided some cultural education. I thought I could add to the depth of that education by the following evening prayer.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Welcome back to sea everyone. I hope you were able to enjoy some liberty, such as it was, and get some rest; maybe reset a little. I don’t know about any of you, but I’d never really heard of Aqaba before this deployment. When we first pulled in I had a quick chat with the SuppO about the place, which is ancient, but didn’t prompt and memories of historic significance for either of us.
As it turns out, this port was first settled in 4000 BC, and was named “Aqaba” for the mountain pass you can see to the north, through the ridges that surround the waters of the gulf. This geological circumstance no only gives the place its name, but made it a vital stop along the ancient King’s Highway that carried trade from Heliopolis, on the Nile in Egypt, to the Euphrates, in Mesopotamia. Aqaba’s value as a portal for trade had only gone up, and today it is the only seaport for the Kingdom of Jordan.
Roads used for trade can also carry war, and the port of Aqaba did draw the attention of the British Empire in the First World War, when it was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. The British feared the Turks would allow Germany to base submarines at Aqaba, but couldn’t assault the port directly because of the narrow approaches and the risk of mines and shore batteries. So the Royal Navy stood off, blockaded and bombarded it, and the Ottoman Turks turned their defenses toward the sea. With the mountains at their back, approach from the sea was the only possible threat.
At least it would have been, except for T.E. Lawrence, who saw the importance of Aqaba and determined to strike it from the east. The Turks had counted on the desert to defend them in that direction, but Lawrence raised a mobile camel force comprised of Arabs and Bedouins, and used the spring pastures to cross the desert and rush Aqaba’s defenders’ weakest side before they could turn their defenses around. The Ottoman garrison was quickly overrun and Aqaba became a major Royal Navy depot for the remainder of the Sinai and Palestinian campaign.
From Hannibal crossing the Alps to attack Rome with elephants, to Lawrence crossing the desert to attack with camels, history is filled with men and women who looked at something that needed to be done and found a way to do it. Heroes who resisted the natural urge to see reasons why something won’t work, and found a way to make it work. Whether it’s the CIWS techs making the mounts full mission capable, or engineers getting all of the engines back on line, or supply department getting what we need to us from places around the globe, or deck division making the ship look good and proud, all of you are standing next to those historic achievers when you look at a problem and ask “how do we do this…” rather than “I can’t, because…”
As we head out to sea and back into the fight, I pray you all will take some pride in your achievements. Keep up the outstanding work.
LET US PRAY
Almighty God, Who looked across a dark and formless void and spoke the universe into existence out of nothing, teach us to use the creative ability you give to each of us and see every difficulty we face as a problem to be solved rather than as an insurmountable obstacle. Help us to look past failure and see opportunities, and then grant us the courage to take advantage of those opportunities, and the wisdom to know how best to do that. For You are a fountain of wisdom and tower of strength, and You are holy always, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 