I traveled to Israel and Palestine in January 2020. This is my journal as I recorded it during the trip. At times it may ramble. At times it may be less than coherent (I was tired – physically, mentally, and spiritually) but, I welcome you to journey with me on these two weeks.
Stardate: January 19, 2020
I’m not sure what I am thinking about the trip so far. Nothing has been as expected. I was surprised at how green everything is. I expected so much brown, but it is quite a beautiful green space. I understand, as Jared said this is the rainy season. The first view of the city was breathtaking! I have been amazed by the world’s oldest cemetery and hope we have a bit of time to explore.
I expected things to be close together, yet I was again unprepared for how close. There seems to be much that is very rundown and things that appear to just be rubble (Again, this was unexpected). I realize it is an old city, but the extremely narrow streets are interesting, it is as if the foot paths have been opened to modern automobiles.
I loved the excavation site and the conundrum of “was David there or not”. Jared’s comments on “that’s why we call it faith”, seemed so spot on. Perhaps that is why we do not have access to the provable facts, faith is an experience outside of what can be proven by the scientific method.
The highlight of the day has been walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel. Someone at dinner commented on the fact that they didn’t walk through, but that if it were a means of washing away sin they would have run through…Although the washing wasn’t a part, there was a deep spiritual component to the faith to walk through water, in an ancient tunnel under a major city. I was fascinated by the walls of the tunnel, some areas were smooth from obvious water that has trickled over the walls for generations, but most of the walls were rough hewn, despite the thousands of people who have no doubt rubbed past the walls just as I did. To have such an intimate interaction with an ancient place was exhilarating.
The pool of Siloam was really incredible. I know we can’t say for sure that Jesus was there, but it seems likely he was. I didn’t expect to feel all the feels around this.
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