As I look out on the city with the night lights twinkling on the horizon, I wonder what it would have been like for the kings of the Bible on a night such as this. With the crisp mountain air blowing through the trees and the stars above, it truly is a magical feeling. It reminds me a lot of home, but at the same time has a unique character about it. I hope that one day the Lord allows me to see what this beloved looked like in the time of His servants such as David & Solomon.
Today was a very unique one for me. I learned so much that I am actually starting to get sensory overload. We started out going to an archeological dig from the Edomite period (about 2,200 years ago) and got to play Indiana Jones for the morning. I absolutely loved it, and learned how to find artifacts in the underground caves. I actually ended up finding about 10 pieces of pottery, and it was surreal to know that I had been the first person to touch that object in over two thousand years. After finding lots of hidden treasures, we then went spelunking in a cave nearby. It was so much fun to be crawling on your hands and knees at times throughout this ancient place. I had to lower myself down holes in the rock, lay on my back and squeeze through spaces with only a couple inches of clearance, and make sure I didn't blow out any of the candles along the way.
We were then loaded into the bus to drive to Bethlehem. On the way, we passed the Valley of Elah, where David fough Goliath. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, and once again longed to see what it looked like years ago. Right outside of Bethlehem our guide, Ronnie, had to leave us because he is Jewish and does not have a permit to enter the Palestinian controlled area (it is worth noting here that Palestinians are allowed to work in Israel even though Jews aren't allowed to work in Palestinian controlled areas). I was able to see the church of the Nativity, where some claim Christ was born. I personally doubt it was in the exact spot they claim, but the biggest thing I took from the experience was the caves. I could not imagine having to give birth to a child in a place like that, and it was so humbling to see the type of place where Christ entered the world. It was dark, dirty, and ugly to be honest. I was struck at the depth of His love for me to be willing to leave Heaven to come to a place like that cave--all because of my sins.
Walking through Palestine was a bit scary. Instead of IDF soldiers everywhere as in Jerusalem, there were Palestinian police patrolling the streets. There was a picture of Yassar Arafat around almost every corner, even in the office of the Church of the Nativity. But what struck me most was all the graffiti on the Israeli security wall at the edge of the city. The hateful and horrible language was not only offensive, but gave completely false accusations and spewed such hatred.
After leaving Bethlehem we met with Col. Danny Tirza--the man who was in charge of designing and building the security fence. An interesting fact to point out is that only 5% of the fence is actually concrete, something you don't see or hear in the American media. The rest is simply a fence with sensors and cameras. He explained to us the reason the concrete is up in the urban areas to protect the Israeli apartments from sniper attacks from the Palestinians, keep Palestinians from climbing a fence (it is over 9m high), and also to prevent the Palestinians from constantly setting off the fence sensors by throwing rocks at the fence. So, it just makes more sense to have a large concrete wall.
I think the biggest thing that impacted me today was how wrong the media is in portraying the Israel-Palestine conflict. Certainly, there are innocent parties on both sides being hurt by the conflict. But by no means is Israel the aggressor in this fight. In fact, Israel has tried several times to come to the table with peace agreements while Palestine refuses to cooperate. Instead of blaming Israel for "not cooperating" with the Palestinians, I think it is our duty as Americans, but more importantly as Christians, to strengthen and encourage them in their fight against terror.
On a personal side note, I feel obligated to tell all of you how much the Lord has been working in my life. Throughout these past few days I have discovered a love for God that I didn't even know I could experience. However, I think it can be really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it takes a trip such as mine in order to discover this love. While being in the Holy Land is an amazing experience and truly lets you learn and see the Bible like no other way, I want to encourage each and every one of you to seek the Lord and really know how much He loves you. It will fill you with such peace and joy, and the wonderful thing is that it will never stop as long as you keep seeking Him--it is a life long journey.
Laila tov. ♥
Picture: At the security wall with Col. Tirza (top left), Valley of Elah (top right), playing Indiana Jones! (middle row), mountains outside Jerusalem (bottom left), Church of the Nativity (bottom right)
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