Walking on Holy Ground

We arrived in Israel, the Holy Land! For it being only 8 hours ahead of Louisiana it took about 20 hours of travel. That is the time from leaving the church in Sulphur driving to Houston, then a flight to Germany, our connection to Israel, and lastly a 2 hour drive to our hotel in Tiberius on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The picture at the top was the sunrise taken from our balcony this Sunday morning. Looking across the Sea of Galilee onto the Golan Heights.

fullsizeoutput_73e — Our trusty steed to cary us “across the pond” a double decker (!) Airbus A380 operated by Lufthansa.

Our real tour begins on Sunday. Saturday was just a travel day and getting settled into our rooms. Even on such an “uneventful day” I could begin to feel the weight of our journey and pilgrimage in this sacred space. Something as simple as driving down the road inspired rich questions and deep thoughts. I would look out and see a hill or an open field and wonder, did Jesus walk there? Did Jesus pray here? What undocumented miracle or teaching might have occurred here? Could Jesus and his disciples have camped out here on their own pilgramages in this land?

Maybe…possibly…

fullsizeoutput_749 — A random village we passed by on our travels. I believe the name of the city is translated as Paradise! it is about 500 years from the Mediterranean Sea of which it faces. What really struck me was how much farm land there was and how green the country side is. I expected it to be more desert like, which is just not the case.

By setting foot on this sacred ground, I can feel a presence, a reverence, and an attitude of worship everywhere I go. By worship I mean having a connection with the Divine. There is an aura (for lack of a better word) here that is powerful, with a palpable spirituality, drenched in the transcendent and touched by the LORD. This is truly a holy land.

Check in soon to see how this feeling of the almighty gets revealed as you walk with me and I add highlights from Sunday’s journey.