This morning I woke up very early around 4am, still getting used to the time difference. I was able to sleep a little bit more but decided to go on a walk on the beach. The hotel that I stayed at last night was on the Mediterranean and the walk in the morning was beautiful. There were people all around early in the morning fishing, walking, and doing yoga on the beach. After a quick breakfast at 7am we were ready to begin our day.
Our first stop for the day was at Caesarea. This was a port town which King Herod built up for himself. He had a palace that jetted out into the sea with some of the remains still visible today. I could only imagine what it looked like in its prime. Lush gardens with a constant breeze from the sea and a panoramic view of the water. Herod also built a theater where shows were performed, but more importantly where Paul presented himself before Agrippa. Most of the theater was still standing and only minor renovations had to be done as it is still a functioning theater today, so we acted out Paul's speech before Agrippa. I was chosen as the best suitable person for the job since I could climb steps and was the lone non leader male. It was surreal to stand where Paul stood and read his words out of the Bible. Caesarea was full of more ruins from both Herod's time, the Byzantines, Crusaders, and Turkish Muslims. While the ruins were all beautiful, the area was also surrounded by shops and other modern stores. The modern elements did not however take away from the beauty for me, but it shows that we live in a linear world with a very active God in that world who was and is present on earth. While the land is where figures from the Bible have walked, the people are definitely modern people, something I think we sometimes forget.
After Caesarea we visited Mount Carmel and Mount Arbel. Both had beautiful views and were great to stand and just watch and reflect. Not only was the land beautiful, but it had significance Biblically, what a combination. Have you ever had the feeling when you were looking at a sunset or a great view of the mountains or at the ocean and you felt that God was present? Our tour guide is great at making stops and telling the Bible stories with excitement about the places we go. That is my favorite time, when we stop and listen to our guide Tom while he recounts the stories explaining why people moved to this land thousands of years ago, stories of faith, stories of fighting, and stories of miracles.
It makes sense to me now why people are so intent on keeping their land and why there have been so many struggles in this area. This is where Jesus walked, where Moses and Abraham walked, where all of them preached, and where all of them heard God's voice. I traveled over 6,000 miles to come here on a vacation. There are people that live here all the time. I would highly doubt that they become numb to their surroundings, but I do see garbage strewn across the ruins with water bottles left on pillars and floating in the coves. It makes me sad to see this. But I remember that God has not only been present here, but is present all over the earth. And all over the world we sometimes treat the earth like a frat house. We carelessly throw things all over the place, defile the land, and misuse the resources that God has given us. We are not standing on holy ground just while we are in Israel, but all the time as all of the earth is God's. What would the world be like if we treated our home towns as awestruck visitors treat the holy places we revere and travel to see? Would we always be thankful to God for the beauty of the land and be enraged when we saw garbage on the ground? Would we act to make sure some places were kept without buildings and be careful not to cut down certain trees? Maybe, maybe not. But we don't have to be visitors to stand on holy ground and to thank God for what God has given us. Take a week, or even a day at a time and realize that you are standing on holy ground, you are always standing on holy ground. Hopefully, slowly, we, I, can realize this truth and this style of living can become a way of life, not just a week vacation.
No comments:
Post a Comment