Day 2 – The Cave of John the Baptist, Rachel’s Stone, Rehoboam’s Citadel, Samuel’s Tomb
“Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5
Today was such a busy day. We had quite a trip travelling and hearing Moshe share about some of the archeological findings and military positions of the sites we visited. But one stop in particular was most interesting to me. I’ve done most of my overseas travel in places where Christianity is not one of the most common belief systems. In Thailand I watched Buddhists flock to throw money at the shrine of a two-foot tall Jade Buddha statue. In Japan I watched hundreds of patrons visit a Shinto Temple clapping their hands in prayer, hoping to get the attention of their god. In Korea, although it was technically a Christian nation, I watched as people worshipped relatives long dead in hope of having luck for the future. And today, in Israel, I saw devout men study the same Scriptures I carry in hope that in them they would find life. All have broken my heart. I held back tears as I stood in the middle of a room full of men reciting the Torah and offering up prayers. It was explained to us that the place we stood at Samuel’s tomb was a most holy place. A place where prayers had a better chance of being heard. How dark that place felt. How hopeless.
Not to mention the fact that the site where we stood was said to have represented the three great monotheistic religions. The Jews held claim because the site is in Israel and Samuel was a Hebrew. The Christians, if you can call them that, built a church there during the Crusades and used it as a staging point to the slaughter of thousands in Jerusalem. Saladin added to the Christian church when he made the building into a Mosque. As I reflected standing in the midst of such confusion, asking what makes a place holy, I could not help but think back to Moses or Moe as Moshe calls him. When Moses stood in the presence of the Lord at the burning bush, God told him where he stood was holy. It is the presence of the God that makes a place holy, set apart, sanctified. That is why I sing without shoes. The Lord is not bound to select places. His holiness is not bottled in the bodies of men who once walked with Him. As I think back on history and remember how so many flocked to icons, relics, and holy places hoping to receive from God what was already freely given. Hoping that if they found the right place or item that they would be healed, provided for or saved. Millions of people throughout history and even today want to find an antenna that can accelerate their prayers to God. I look back on my own life and remember times of trying to find an easier connection with God. A favorite posture, place, or way of saying things that would attract more attention to me and help God give me what I wanted. Tragedies in life can often break our preconceived notions of how God works in His world.
I want to find God. Not just here, the Holy Land, where people journey in order to be closer to God. I want to find Him in my home, in my office, in my car, in my living room, at my church. I want to see Him and where He is moving wherever He calls me to go. Lord may I be sensitive to your Spirit’s work. I love y’all more than you know. Thank you for your prayers. Grace and peace,
JOT
Strengthen My Hands 