Ten Impressions of the Holy Land

by the Rev. Darrel Peterson
Assistant to the Bishop
ELCA-Southeastern Synod

In January I was privileged to accompany Dr. Monte Luker of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and 27 others on a study trip to Israel and Palestine. Over the years I have heard others say that visiting the Biblical sites was life-changing. I do know that when I read and hear the Biblical stories from now on, I will experience a new “high definition” of geographical awareness. Here are ten quick impressions.

1. Seeing Biblical history involves a lot of walking, descending and climbing, even some wading in water. One woman described it as “Today we ran where Jesus walked”. I’m glad I had my good hiking shoes.
2. I gained a better understanding of places like the Westbank, the Negev, Gaza and the Golan Heights. I knew I was going to see rocky landscapes, but I was surprised at the hills and mountains. Mt Hermon is a significant mountain. We were close to Egypt. We looked over into Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
3. The celebrated sites are significant, but some are a little disappointing. Standing in line to peek into the hole where the cross supposedly was planted is kind of sad. It is a quite a stretch from the old hymn that expresses “There is a green hill far away, outside the city wall, where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all.”
4. We had an insightful visit with the manager of an Israeli settlement followed by a moving visit to the Lutheran church and school in Bethlehem just a mile or so away. (pragmatic developments and the angst of injustice)
5. We can be proud of the Lutheran World Federation presence and ministry at the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives.
6. The Sea of Galilee was much as I had imagined, a beautiful lake with fascinating gospel story sites surrounding. The day we took the boat ride was beautiful, no storms. One could easily envision travel over to the “other side”.
7. Israeli development is impressive. They have a wonderful National Park system, with excellent interpretations. Historical antiquities are being progressively studied and developed.
8. As a child I remember my great-aunt, a missionary in India, telling how she floated in the Dead Sea (about 1920). There I was, these many years later, floating in the Dead Sea. And then there was getting smeared up with the mud, and the soaking in the spa. Truly, a unique experience. We stayed for five days at the nearby Ein Gedi Kibbutz, experiencing the communal project of “making the desert bloom”.
9. We studied and were exposed to the many layers of history. Abraham and Sarah, David and Saul, the Romans, the Crusader Period, the Ottoman Rule, the roots of Zionism, the modern state of Israel, just to name some of the many.
10. Water…it was and continues to be a vital necessity. We saw many historic cisterns. There was always the issue of having an adequate water supply, of carrying the water up (often done by women). Today, modern irrigation, contrasted by those who continue to follow the water sources for their flocks.