Final Entry

After some thirty hours blurred with a mix of buses and airplanes we have returned home. Sunday, March 4, was our final day in Jerusalem. We spent the morning at what remains of King David’s Jerusalem, now a small gathering of archaeological remains, and also walked through Hezekiah’s tunnel which was built during Hezekiah’s expansion of the city in order to bring Jerusalem’s water supply within the city walls. We then visited an archaeological park at the southern end of the Temple Mount and saw the southern steps and entrance complex to the temple which existed in Jesus’ lifetime. We spent a few minutes at the Western/Wailing Wall and then had lunch. After lunch we had some free time for packing and shopping, which I spent bumming about the Old City. In the evening we toured the Israeli excavations along the Western Wall and then went to bed for our last time in Jerusalem.

We spend Monday travelling along the Jordan Valley, and visited Qumran, home of the Essenes, an ancient sect of Judaism and the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We also visted an Israeli state park at Ein Gedi, which is the wadi where David his from Saul and also spared his life. This narrow, but very deep gorge is riddle with caves and gives an excellent idea of how the events between these two may have played out. We ended the day at a resort on the shore of the Dead Sea and enjoyed some much needed relaxation and flotation in the excessively dense waters.

Tuesday was our last day in Israel. We were given some extra time in the morning to sleep and pack for the long journey ahead. I spent the time floating in the Dead Sea again. We then travelled North a short distance to the mountain-top fortress of Masada which Herod the Great fortified as a place of refuge and a luxury palace. Later, the last holdouts of the 1st century Jewish revolt against Rome took their lives in the fortress following a three-year siege by the Roman legions. Our final stop of the trip was a baptism site along the Jordan River which is in the same vicinity as Jesus was baptized and where John the Baptist conducted his ministry. The site lies within touching distance of the nation of Jordan, and we were lucky that it was open. From this river on the edge of Israel, we drove across the country to the port-city of Joppa, where we ate dinner before heading to the airport for an overnight flight home.

The Dead Sea was one of the highlights of my trip. Our days in Jerusalem were difficult. The nature of the city requires much walking and we had a number of people in our group who had mobility challenges and needed a great deal of help. This struggle was compounded by the unusually cold and wet weather, and a very full touring schedule. While I enjoyed Jerusalem, I was ready for the warmth and sun of the desert, and the Dead Sea did not disappoint. Floating in the mineral dense waters was exactly what I needed, and my body felt renewed and reinvigorated by the experience. So much so that I set aside my packing an journaling time the next morning to do it again! The blessed relaxation in the Dead Sea was still very much in my mind when we arrived at the baptismal site along the Jordan River. This close to the Dead Sea, the Jordan is a calm and serene body as it meanders through its final few miles. It also serves as the, currently peaceful, border between nations who have fought multiple wars with one another. John’s baptismal site is a small cluster of churches, monasteries, and the ruins of both sandwiched between minefields, trenches, and watchtowers overseen by men with guns. Within this area of death, where nothing exists but the desolate memories of long-ended wars exists an area of peace, tranquility, and rest. While we looked at the Jordan, two teenaged soldiers lounged in the shade, joking with each other and with us. This is the work that the Holy Spirit did in my life during the last few days of this trip, and I believe it is the work He is doing in the world, the church, and individuals everywhere. After days of exhausting travel in horrible weather conditions, helping others on the same journey, and dealing with all of the dynamics one finds in a group of individuals, the Spirit brought me to a place of rest and rejuvenation. In this world of chaos, war, and hatred, the Spirit is working to carve out a place of peace and rest where we can find Him and re-engage life with new energy.