Thank God for antibiotics! Like many other travelers I now have had the unpleasant experience of picking up a virus while traveling internationally. After a difficult return flight where I could not be vertical without becoming lightheaded and nauseous, I am now firmly on the ground again and returning to normal. I am eternally grateful to those who stuck by me during the flight and the days afterwards. It gives a whole new dimension to the word community when we support each other through sickness.
Having traveled half way around the world with this group we have shared many experiences. We have been in awe of great sights together such as the Dome of the Rock, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Calvary itself. We have bonded splashing in the Sea of Galilee, renewing our baptism in the Jordan River, and walking the streets of Jerusalem in Christ’s steps on the Via Doloroso.
Returning from such a trip has left my head spinning as I try to incorporate all that I saw, and did, and integrate it with my day-to-day living here in Middletown. Being sick and having minimal energy I feel like I am walking through a fog. When I close my eyes to rest I see images from Israel, hear songs that we sang there, and even the voice of our tour guide Tsippi.
When I drive to the store now I look to the right or left and half expect Tsippi’s voice to come over my mental loudspeaker and tell me something of interest about this field or that hill in the distance. She wove a story of the Holy Land in my head for eleven days that leaves me forever changed not only in how I visualize familiar Bible stories but also in how I look at the land around me at home.
While our history is not as old as the Holy Land, my eyes have been opened to the stories that the ground holds for us when we consider who has walked, and lived, here before us. I realize I am a visitor and that realization lends perspective to this gift I have received.
Besides visiting places I love to travel and visit family and friends. I come from a large extended family spread throughout the northeast corridor from Virginia to Boston. Six grown siblings with families of our own, its challenging to stay connected as we each work and manage busy lives. Phone calls and email help but the most satisfying times of reconnection occur when I visit them in person. When I take the time to go to their home for a few days we bask in the hours of time we have for deeper conversations and laughter. I see the lay of the land, what their environment is like; where they live, work, go to school and play. We talk and joke around as we cook and eat together. When I leave, I feel a deep connection in my heart to these people I love so dearly. Time together in their home allows me to know them well and becomes a gift not only for them but for me as well.
Returning from the Holy Land I realize I have done the same with Jesus. Now I have seen where he lived; where he walked, ate, spoke, prayed, and led his flock. I have splashed in waters that he splashed in and gazed at vistas he gazed at. I understand better the distances between places he traveled giving a visual to stories I have only imagined in the past. I also see the history that was before his time which impacted his growth as a child and man.
As a result of this visit to his homeland I feel a deeper connection to Jesus and the entire Bible. I get it in a new way. The God connection in my heart has expanded to include new information that allows me to picture places and scenes from that time. I have mental images to go with the words of these familiar stories and for that I am forever grateful.
The plane has touched down and I am back on American soil. My health and energy are returning and I prepare to leave for the next adventure, my son’s college graduation. I carry in my heart and mind a memory of a fertile land where three of the world’s major religions come together in a rich and complex tapestry. I visited Israel not knowing quite what I would find. What I found is that I know my brother Jesus better for taking the time to visit his homeland. Whether you call him Teacher, Lord, Christ, Brother, Friend, or even stranger, I recommend you do the same when you get the chance.You’ll be glad you did.
