Now that I've had a little time to recuperate from a 13 hour flight followed by a 10 hour drive, I would like to record a few reflections about our journeys in Israel.
The flight from JFK to Tel Aviv with El Al went smoothly, with two meals served along the way. I enjoyed watching the maps of our flight path over the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, especially as we flew over the Southern tip of Italy. At the JFK airport I met a kind Jewish couple with whom I had a brief conversation in Hebrew. I was excited about practicing Hebrew since I don't often get the chance to do so in the United States. I gradually began to understand the flight attendants' conversations, and to decipher the Hebrew words on the flight maps.
One theme that many of the speakers and other Israelis continually emphasized to our group was that Israel is a resilient nation. The Jews are a resilient people. This is true from a Biblical perspective, but also from a modern perspective. Throughout history the Jews have suffered through many difficulties, trials, and tragedies, not the least of which was the Shoah. The adversity that accompanied the establishment of the State of Israel made the small nation strong, and adversity continues to test and refine the people of Israel.
Israel is surrounded by enemies. Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hamas threaten the New Jersey-sized nation from every angle. Rockets and mortar shells are frequently launched from the Gaza strip into bordering Israeli cities in the South, and UN and Israeli soldiers guard the North from the Golan Heights. Although the barrier that divides Israel from the West Bank has helped to frustrate the suicide bombers whose numbers increased during the second Intifada, there have recently been a number of stabbing attacks in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel. In spite of these challenges, many Israelis maintain an optimistic attitude. Our tour guide, our medic, the IDF soldiers, the speakers, the students of the Ein Prat mechina, and almost every Israeli we met was extraordinarily positive and hopeful about the future.
One of the reasons for the strength of Israel as a nation is that the people are united around the common goal to preserve their freedom, their lives, their families, and their faith from the onslaught of those who wish to destroy them. With few exceptions, every Israeli citizen has a duty to serve in the military. Men typically serve in the Israeli Army for three years, and women typically serve for two years. There are a lot of differences between the U.S. military and the Israeli military, but the discipline is similar. Service in the military is a defining moment in the lives of young men and women in Israel, and it is clear that this service builds character in meaningful ways. There are many positive attributes of the Israeli people, but optimism and fortitude are among the most easily recognizable traits of an Israeli citizen.
Our main contact with the Israeli people came through our tour guide Uri. Uri is a fountain of knowledge about almost every aspect of Israel that one can imagine. From Biblical insights to geography, from politics to science, from social criticism to linguistic nuances, Uri knows Israel well, and he shares his understanding with great enthusiasm and love for his country. He had a good answer to almost every question that was posed to him, and if he didn't know something, he wasn't ashamed to admit it and to try to find the answer. We were blessed to learn from him during our trips from city to city, from site to site.
After the evening lecture by Herb Keinon, and a good night's sleep, our first stop was Jaffa, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. I enjoyed seeing the boats in the port because it reminded me of some of my other favorite places on earth where boats and fishing are important (the coasts of Southern Italy, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the Puget Sound in Washington). Jaffa is a beautiful port city with a fascinating history. When Jonah fled from his prophetic duties, he set sail from Jaffa.
Our next stop was an archeological dig in Beit Guvrin national park. I'm not a huge fan of digging through dirt in search of shards of pottery or lamps, but I'm glad that there are people that enjoy that kind of thing. It was actually fun to schlep buckets of dirt out of the cave, and to find a few fragments and bones that were of interest to the archeologists. But we were basically digging through an ancient garbage pit. I would much rather search for ancient scrolls or written treasures. There is no shortage of archeological treasures to be found in Israel, but some of them are probably buried in places where digging is prohibited. I didn't find any scrolls, holy grails or gold coins, but we met some interesting people who were grateful for our forced manual labor.
After Beit Guvrin, we met a woman named Chen in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in Southern Israel. While we were strolling around the kibbutz, admiring bomb shelters and handling pieces of shrapnel that were found after attacks from Gaza, I thought it would be wise to ask a practical question: What do we do if Hamas decides to launch some rockets right now? Some people thought that it was a funny question, but in reality we would have less than ten seconds to run for cover. With a group of about forty people, the odds would have been good that a few of us would not fit in the shelters or would not make it inside in time. It seemed like a good question to ask.
Chen was used to living in the kibbutz with the constant threat of an attack. The same is true of people living in Sderot, where there is even a small museum of detonated missiles. Apparently some Israelis, instead of running for cover when the sirens blare, stand outside on their balconies with their cell phones to obtain video footage of incoming missiles. Rabbi Shmuel Bowman informed us that in spite of the dangerous conditions, Sderot is a growing city. It's not necessarily a place where I would chose to live, but at least there is a giant cement caterpillar bomb shelter on the playground to protect children in case of an attack. Some of the inhabitants are said to suffer from PTSD because of the frequent attacks. It is not "post" traumatic stress disorder, but "perpetual" traumatic stress disorder. It is certainly true that living in that area would be stressful, and that people would suffer from a variety of stressful symptoms, but in my opinion labels like PTSD are counter productive and sometimes even harmful.
The next morning in Tel Aviv a few of us sallied forth to walk on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. A fresh breeze was blowing, and surfers were testing the waves. The walk from the hotel to the beach and back also gave us the chance to see some of the interesting architecture in Tel Aviv.
That same morning our group traveled to Caesarea to see the ruins of Herod's ancient port city. In the hippodrome I imagined horses and charioteers from many nations gathered to race. I wondered which nations won first, second, and third place prizes. Visions of Ben Hur flashed through my mind. I wondered what sort of spectacles took place, and how many Christians were fed to ravenous beasts. But most of all, we enjoyed the views of the ocean. There were some beautiful flowers scattered around the landscape, and some flowers that look like missiles or rockets. Even the foliage is appropriate.
As we strolled through Caesarea, we were also treading in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. In 58 AD the Apostle Paul was accused of starting a riot, and he was sent to Caesarea to be tried. As a Roman citizen, Paul demanded to be heard at the Emperor's court. He sailed to Rome from Caesarea's harbor. We did not sail to Rome, and fortunately we weren't tried before an angry tribunal either. Instead we journeyed on to Megiddo.
We had lunch at Megiddo, and from the hill tops we could gaze out over the Jezreel Valley toward Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. I thought that if some of us would start a little skirmish with some other tourists, we could get the ball rolling for the battle of Armageddon, you know, just to speed things up a little bit. But things remained relatively calm and peaceful as we examined some of the ruins.
Our next stop was Nazareth, not too far from Megiddo, the town where Jesus lived as a youth. We went to the Nazareth Y.M.C.A., which overlooks the tennis courts where Jesus probably first learned to play tennis. Not really, but tennis can teach us all about love and service. (rimshot) However, we did learn about olive presses, donkeys, and weaving. We each received a gift of a small oil lamp, and in the gift shop one of my fellow travelers pointed out the King David and King Solomon cologne. If it was the same kind of cologne that they wore, I would have been tempted to buy some. Could it have been the cologne that attracted so many wives and concubines? Or was it simply that they were kings, and kings have a lot of fancy things that concubines are looking for? Needless to say, I didn't buy the cologne.
That same night as dusk settled we arrived at the Sea of Galilee. We stayed in a beautiful place, with amazing food, and even more amazing bathrooms. But the internet was terrible. First world problems. Our first stop the next morning was the Jordan river. Glenn Beck had planted an olive tree there. A handful of us decided to get baptized by immersion. The water was cold, and I don't think that it really cleansed me from whatever unholy thoughts that I had in Nazareth, but it was a once in a life time experience.
After Yardenit, we traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes. It is a beautiful spot. But all of these places were made holy by the Lord who lived and taught there. Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the poor in spirit... come to think of it, there is probably some meaning to the order in which the Lord presented the beatitudes. I've never really thought of it until now, but it makes sense to me. The poor in spirit are those who are humble, who mourn, and who are meek. Since they are poor in spirit, in need of comfort, and meek, they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They are therefore merciful because they realize that others are in need of the same comfort and blessings, and hungering and thirsting after righteousness is a desire to be merciful. Mercy comes from a pure heart and creates purity of heart, and the desire to be a peacemaker. People who obtain these attributes are persecuted for them, just like the prophets were. You get the point. Maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but it just occurred to me that all of these attributes, or beatitudes, are linked together.
It was funny to see a sign "Water Not For Drinking" right next to a small monument with the inscription: "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink." There were some beautiful flowers on the Mount of Beatitudes as well.
I was going to write more, to summarize every day of the trip, but I think that the pictures tell the story quite well already. In the remaining space, therefore, I would just like to thank the Museum of the Bible and the Philos Project for organizing this great trip. I would also like to thank everyone who made the trip a success, our guide Uri, our medic Noam, our bus driver Daron, and everyone who worked behind the scenes.
Did I learn a lot about modern Israel? Yes. Did I feel a connection to the people? Yes.
How did the trip impact me spiritually? Salvation does not depend on a person traveling to Israel, but one can learn many things by visiting the Holy Land. It's not like a pilgrimage or a Hajj to Mecca, but Israel is a beautiful country with many interesting things to see and to do.
Did the trip strengthen my walk with Christ? One thing is certain, the trip strengthened my leg muscles from all of the walking. Kidding aside, a wise man has taught that it is much more important to walk as Jesus walked than to walk where He walked. But if one gets a chance to walk where Jesus walked as well, then he might as well do it. I enjoyed meeting many different people, and the trip gave us all a chance to get to know each other better, so in that sense it strengthened our walk with each other. In reality, strengthening one's walk with Christ requires consistent, daily effort, whether in Israel or anywhere else:
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
That same morning our group traveled to Caesarea to see the ruins of Herod's ancient port city. In the hippodrome I imagined horses and charioteers from many nations gathered to race. I wondered which nations won first, second, and third place prizes. Visions of Ben Hur flashed through my mind. I wondered what sort of spectacles took place, and how many Christians were fed to ravenous beasts. But most of all, we enjoyed the views of the ocean. There were some beautiful flowers scattered around the landscape, and some flowers that look like missiles or rockets. Even the foliage is appropriate.
As we strolled through Caesarea, we were also treading in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. In 58 AD the Apostle Paul was accused of starting a riot, and he was sent to Caesarea to be tried. As a Roman citizen, Paul demanded to be heard at the Emperor's court. He sailed to Rome from Caesarea's harbor. We did not sail to Rome, and fortunately we weren't tried before an angry tribunal either. Instead we journeyed on to Megiddo.
We had lunch at Megiddo, and from the hill tops we could gaze out over the Jezreel Valley toward Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. I thought that if some of us would start a little skirmish with some other tourists, we could get the ball rolling for the battle of Armageddon, you know, just to speed things up a little bit. But things remained relatively calm and peaceful as we examined some of the ruins.
Our next stop was Nazareth, not too far from Megiddo, the town where Jesus lived as a youth. We went to the Nazareth Y.M.C.A., which overlooks the tennis courts where Jesus probably first learned to play tennis. Not really, but tennis can teach us all about love and service. (rimshot) However, we did learn about olive presses, donkeys, and weaving. We each received a gift of a small oil lamp, and in the gift shop one of my fellow travelers pointed out the King David and King Solomon cologne. If it was the same kind of cologne that they wore, I would have been tempted to buy some. Could it have been the cologne that attracted so many wives and concubines? Or was it simply that they were kings, and kings have a lot of fancy things that concubines are looking for? Needless to say, I didn't buy the cologne.
That same night as dusk settled we arrived at the Sea of Galilee. We stayed in a beautiful place, with amazing food, and even more amazing bathrooms. But the internet was terrible. First world problems. Our first stop the next morning was the Jordan river. Glenn Beck had planted an olive tree there. A handful of us decided to get baptized by immersion. The water was cold, and I don't think that it really cleansed me from whatever unholy thoughts that I had in Nazareth, but it was a once in a life time experience.
After Yardenit, we traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes. It is a beautiful spot. But all of these places were made holy by the Lord who lived and taught there. Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the poor in spirit... come to think of it, there is probably some meaning to the order in which the Lord presented the beatitudes. I've never really thought of it until now, but it makes sense to me. The poor in spirit are those who are humble, who mourn, and who are meek. Since they are poor in spirit, in need of comfort, and meek, they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They are therefore merciful because they realize that others are in need of the same comfort and blessings, and hungering and thirsting after righteousness is a desire to be merciful. Mercy comes from a pure heart and creates purity of heart, and the desire to be a peacemaker. People who obtain these attributes are persecuted for them, just like the prophets were. You get the point. Maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but it just occurred to me that all of these attributes, or beatitudes, are linked together.
It was funny to see a sign "Water Not For Drinking" right next to a small monument with the inscription: "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink." There were some beautiful flowers on the Mount of Beatitudes as well.
I was going to write more, to summarize every day of the trip, but I think that the pictures tell the story quite well already. In the remaining space, therefore, I would just like to thank the Museum of the Bible and the Philos Project for organizing this great trip. I would also like to thank everyone who made the trip a success, our guide Uri, our medic Noam, our bus driver Daron, and everyone who worked behind the scenes.
Did I learn a lot about modern Israel? Yes. Did I feel a connection to the people? Yes.
How did the trip impact me spiritually? Salvation does not depend on a person traveling to Israel, but one can learn many things by visiting the Holy Land. It's not like a pilgrimage or a Hajj to Mecca, but Israel is a beautiful country with many interesting things to see and to do.
Did the trip strengthen my walk with Christ? One thing is certain, the trip strengthened my leg muscles from all of the walking. Kidding aside, a wise man has taught that it is much more important to walk as Jesus walked than to walk where He walked. But if one gets a chance to walk where Jesus walked as well, then he might as well do it. I enjoyed meeting many different people, and the trip gave us all a chance to get to know each other better, so in that sense it strengthened our walk with each other. In reality, strengthening one's walk with Christ requires consistent, daily effort, whether in Israel or anywhere else:
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
