Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Hi friends/family/random guests. It has been exactly one month since my last blog. If you had told me last month that I would be taking a spontaneous trip to the middle east for two weeks, I would never have believed you. In months and years to come I will be gratefully reflecting on this experience.

As many of you know (thanks, Mom), my prodigal passport was eventually located at 3 p.m. the day before I left for the Holy Land trip. It was really a whirlwind experience finding out that I was going to get to go--two days before! And now here I am, back at my trusty library desk, trying to put an indescribable trip into words.

The reason for this quick trip was due to a very gracious donation by a couple who had paid for the trip but weren't able to go for health reasons. I am still nearly speechless at their generosity and will always be thankful for their gift. I have come to think of it as part of the end of my seminary pilgrimage. I felt like Abraham when I was called to go to school here, and like David when I was called from the El Dorado Springs "pastures" to leadership in the Church. I felt like Timothy as I was mentored by strong Christians at NTS and Christ Community, and like Peter as I made mistakes yet knew the grace of Jesus. And this trip was an opportunity to [literally] follow in the paths of Jesus, from the peaceful scenery of Galilee to the sacrifice of the cross in Jerusalem.

What a way to end the season of Lent!

Suffice it to say that I would encourage everyone to make this pilgrimage. We have so much to learn about the Bible, and going to the holy land has a way of renewing one's excitement about Scripture, commitment to God, and understanding of the history of salvation. I have spent my whole life looking at the maps in the back of my Bible; now they are transformed into reality. And despite the recurrent conflict associated with this area of the world, there are many people living in peace. Meeting some of them was one of my favorite parts of this trip.

Some of you have already seen pictures on Facebook, but I will try to post more soon, with stories!