Israel: A Land of Contrasts

For the past couple of weeks my wife and I have had the privilege of leading a group of people to the Holy Land. Spring is such a wonderful time to visit Israel. The black basalt stones on the hillsides stood like silhouettes on a carpet of green splashed with brilliant reds, blues, purples, and yellow. The wild mustard glistened in the sunlight, its bright yellow heads waving in the breeze, reminding us of those words of Jesus, "If only we had faith the size of a mustard seed..." The almond trees were nearing the end of their blooming cycle, again reminding us that spring had truly arrived in Israel.

The land truly blossoms like a rose. Trees were heavy laden with oranges and grapefruit. Apple, pear, and apricot trees were alive with their spring flowers, promising an abundant harvest in the fall. The grape arbors were beginning to stir from their winter slumber. Bananas, dates, and figs joined the cornucopia.

Israel is a melting pot of the ancient and the modern. Where else can you go travel from a water system over 3000 years old to a McDonalds in a matter of minutes? Israel is a land of contrasts. One of the most unusual scenes was that of a young Arab driving a herd of sheep and goats up a hillside outside of Jerusalem. He was riding on a donkey...yet talking on a cell phone. Now that was a contrast between the old and the new.

There are many reasons why one travels to Israel. But the primary one is to reconnect with the Scriptures. After visiting Israel now for six times, I can honestly say that I am still delighting in the discovery of Scriptural truths. We forgot how small even ancient Israel was. I think we have this mistaken idea that the stories of the Bible are spread out over miles and miles of countryside. But that simply is not the case. Let me share one example with you. Standing upon Mount Carmel, the place where Elijah called down fire from heaven, one looks out over the broad expanse of the Valley of Jezreel. From that vantage point you can see: the Mountains of Moreh from where Gideon attacked the Midianites; the Mountains of Gilboa where King Saul and his sons died at the hands of the Philistines; the River Merom where Joshua defeated the Canaanites; Mount Tabor from where Deborah and Barak again defeated those same Canaanites; the village of Endor where Saul entertained the witch; and Jezreel where King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had their summer palace and where Ahab died. If only those hillsides and rocks could talk...well, I would still be there listening...recorder in hand.

Israel needs our prayers today. The nation hears the continued threats of her neighbors promising not peace but annihilation. The world hears the plaintiff cries of Palestinians suffering at the hands of their terrorist leaders, yet wrongfully assumes that Israel is responsible for that suffering. Should Israel be charged with war-crimes when it is the hands of the Hamas terrorists that have caused the great loss of life? The people of Israel clamor for peace...real peace. They want to go to bed at night knowing that no warning siren will sound giving them 15 seconds to seek shelter. They want their children to go to school without the worry of seeking bomb shelters in the midst of their studies. They want the freedom to dine in a restaurant or to visit a nightclub without wondering if someone will enter with a suicide vest. Let's remember our biblical responsibility to pray for the "peace of Jerusalem."

In upcoming weeks I want to share more with you about the experiences our group had while in Israel. But, as they say in Israel...Shalom and Mazel tov.