Israel is a land of many inconsistencies. There are high rugged mountains and fertile green valleys. Dry barren wilderness intersects with the Jordan River. Peaceful family communities live on the edge of violence and uncertainty. A wide range of religious convictions are zealously followed while others complacently live in the culture shaped by the variances.
Today I am living my own set of conflicts. I am filled to overflowing with information and drained of the ability to process. I am excited by the experience and exhausted by all that it entails. I am looking forward to being home and sad to leave. The land of contradictions is within me as well as around me.
After studying for 14 days, walking more than 60 miles, exploring 14 of Israel’s National Parks, visiting numerous sites, and experiencing a multitude of blessings, our time in the Holy Land is drawing to a close. I had numerous questions when I came. What will it be like? Will I be able to handle the physical changes and challenges? How will we be making connections to the Bible and the maps? I have answers to those questions. Now I have a whole new set. How will I remember it all? Where will I use it all? What does this mean for the future? Regardless of the answers, I know that I have a multitude of memories to process. I also have a renewed appreciation for how the Bible and our faith is shaped by the land in which it happened. It doesn’t make it any less miraculous and mysterious. If anything, being here has given me more of a sense of just how amazing it is that in this small section of the universe God created a plan for redeeming the world. The Bible is the same but I will read it differently. I am the same and I am blessed to be changed by this experience.
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