We ran today where Jesus walked

Lois and I just returned from a whirlwind tour of the Holy Land. Rather, I should say, our bodies just returned from a whirlwind tour of the Holy Land. Our minds are still somewhere over Greenland. So, some jet-lagged thoughts . . .

After hiking the steep, rocky paths through Israel and Jordan, I have greater empathy for the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years following the Exodus from Egypt. No wonder they "grumbled" to Moses about the hot, dry barren land through which they trekked. I was grumbling after just forty minutes!

However, I was encouraged reading The Message paraphrase of John 4: "Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon." Even Jesus got tired trekking through the Holy Land. By noon He was "worn out."

Still, Moses and the Israelites as well as Jesus and His disciples were much sturdier people than our tour group which could retreat to the air-conditioned bus on the way to our four-star hotel. I'm such a wimp!

Speaking of wimps, I am always amazed—and convicted—that other religions take their faith much more seriously than most Christians.

Twice during the ten-hour flight to Tel Aviv, the Orthodox Jews would gather in the back of the plane, don their prayer shawls and phylacteries (the boxes of Scripture strapped to their foreheads), and pray. Five times during the day, Muslim prayer towers called "minarets," broadcast the call to face Mecca, kneel and pray.

While Christians believe Jesus is "the way, the truth, the life," they could do well to emulate the discipline and devotion of the Jews and Muslims.

While I was looking forward to seeing the sites associated with the life and ministry of Jesus, I was disappointed with some of the tacky-tourist elements. If I had one American dollar for every time we were accosted with "Ten postcards for one American dollar," our trip would have been paid for ten times over.

And wherever Jesus walked or talked, there seems to be an ornate church or cathedral built over the site. By "ornate" I mean looking as if the designer was Liberace. It seems comparable to covering Lincoln's log cabin with marble, gold-plating the redwoods, or building a shopping mall over the battlefield of Gettysburg. Since Jesus preached against outward appearances and pretentiousness, I'm not sure He approves.

The sites that were most memorable—and meaningful—were those untouched by human hands. The Sea of Galilee, where Christ walked on water and calmed the storm, was especially meaningful as we sailed in a replica of a first century fishing boat. The hillside covered in prairie grass and sprinkled with rocks overlooking the sea looked as it would have two thousand years ago when Jesus delivered his famous "Sermon on the Mount." And I'll never hear "Angels We Have Heard on High" the same again after singing it in a cave where the shepherds "watched their flocks by night."

Mostly, the Holy Land is a mix of contemplation and commercialism. If one crops out souvenir shops along the Via Delarosa, one can imagine Christ carrying His cross through the streets of Jerusalem. At the site thought to be the skull-shaped hill where Christ was crucified, there is a TV antenna that, with some imagination, looks like a cross. And if one can block out the diesel roar of the bus station next to the garden tomb, one can almost hear the angel announce, "He is risen. He is not here."

Each overseas adventure, whether Africa, Australia or India, has been a life-changing experience which has broadened my perspective and appreciation of other cultures. But the best part of the trip is always the beautiful "Welcome to the United States of America" sign. I'm sure I'll be processing this trip for months to come, but it is with a sense of gratitude to be doing that with American food and potable water in my own home. And of course, in my own bed!

Shalom!

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We ran today where Jesus walked

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