Journey’s End Has Arrived

Two weeks ago we set off on a grand journey. Today it comes to an end. We return to Israel and fly out of Tel Aviv late tonight. We have enjoyed the sites, and have been awed and inspired. We have strengthened existing friendships, made new ones, and shared unforgettable experiences. It will take some time to process all we’ve learned and experienced. But we have been changed by this land and its people.

Never again will we hear news of this region and be indifferent. Never again will be hear of consultations and diplomatic pronouncements without thinking of the homes we have been in, the people we’ve met, or the awe inspiring power of the land.

May God bring peace in our time, and may we, to the extent we have been changed by our travels, be instruments of that peace in our homes, our communities, and our world. Salaam, Shalom, Peace!

Mt. Nebo

Moses, after all the struggle of getting a generation of people through the desert wanderings and hostile kingdoms, never made it to the Promised Land. God allowed Moses to see the view from Mt. Nebo, a spectacular vista that revealed fertile valleys and endless possibilities, but it was Joshua who led the Hebrews into their dream. Moses died and was buried somewhere unknown. His staff stands as a memorial to all who, standing on the edge between past and future, can’t help but wonder where God is leading the people of the countries seen here. Still beleaguered by conflicts and ancient hatreds, hope seems hard to find. But, since God did lead Moses and Joshua and countless leaders since, perhaps God can still lead us today. Jesus believed so. May it be so for us.

Ma’dabā (or Medeba in the OT)

Near Mt. Nebo, this ancient city is best known today for the mosaic map of Jerusalem now found of in the floor of a church built to enclose it. This map, the oldest known map of the Holy Land, is incomplete but still shows detail that would have been essential knowledge for pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Petra

Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Search for the Holy Grail will know of Petra even in they don’t know the name. Recently named as one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, Petra, today in southwest Jordan, was known as Seir (and Sela) in the Old Testament (Genesis 32:3ff). The ancient Nabataeans built a whole civilization by carving structures into the sandstone cliffs. With only one entrance and easily defended Petra survived for centuries until the Romans annexed it in 106 CE and the Crusaders invaded it in the 12th century. Remaining hidden to the world until 1812 Petra is now one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

Jerash

Surviving in some measure until the 12th century CE, this Greco-Roman city is sometimes called the Pompeii of the Middle East. An extensive urban center in its day, Jerash is an amazing site that reveals the sophistication of design and function that belies our prejudice that only moderns are advanced in engineering and design. Sewer systems, shopping complexes, overpasses, they had it all. Makes you wonder what they will be saying about our cities in a thousand years!

Wrestling with God

When Jacob was about to be reunited with his estranged brother, Esau (Gen 32:22-32), Jacob spent the night by the stream called Jabbok. All night he wrestled with an unnamed man. When morning came Jacob would not let the man go until he received a blessing. What he received was the new name “Israel” which he carried into the meeting with his brother, into the promised land, and into history. The place, which may have looked something like this site on the modern day Jabbock, was called Peniel, which means “face to face with God.”

From Israel-West Bank to Jordan

Today we finish our travels in Israel and the West Bank and travel across the border to Jordan. We cross the border at the Allenby Bridge near Jericho. Once through the border we ascend toward Amman, capital of Jordan. This is the first time for all of us in Jordan. Iraq is 650 miles away—which seems a little threatening, but Jordan is at peace with Israel and is known as a safe country. In addition to our new guide and driver (required) also joining us was a Tourist Police officer just to make sure that everything goes well.