Doubting Thomas
When I wrote the first post on the reality of Jesus, I was half-way through, on the seventh day. It was the eighth and ninth days that were most impactful for me, and especially the ninth day, which I largely wrote about in the post, “Climbing to Golgotha.” I must...
The River Jordan, Jericho and Camels
I wanted to post a couple of short videos. The first occurred at the end of the ninth day. Our last stop was at a bazaar to shop for souvenirs, and as luck would have it within the lot we found a camel. The second video was a day spent in the West Bank, including the...
Climbing to Golgotha: the ninth day.
It is difficult to describe the feelings of doing the stations of the cross where Christ lived them, except now, they are the streets of a Jerusalem rebuilt three times over; yet, when faced with the stone of anointing, and the tomb of Christ, and touching the rock of...
Church of the Pater Noster
On the eight day we visited the church of the Pater Noster, which is Latin for "Our Father." This site is associated with the teaching of the disciples by Jesus and specifically, the teaching of the Lord's Prayer. This was also the day we visited the Church of the...
The Shepherd’s Fields and Hervy Hodges
I am posting quick video from the airport, having made three on the flight back from Tel Aviv. I know that once I get back I will be busy and am fairly frantic to record as many thoughts as I can on a trip so meaningful as this....
The Eighth Day: Agony in the Garden
The Church of the Nativity that holds the birthplace of Jesus, the caves of Joseph, and later, St. Jerome, who transcribed the Word of God from a dying Greek language to Latin over the course of twenty years; the Rock of Ascension on the Mount of Olives; the Church of...
The Reality of Jesus
The Sea of Galilee from Capernaum When we were sitting under the olive trees in Capernaum a couple of days ago, Rauf was talking of how Jesus was not the first Messiah claimant, he said there were eleven others, all killed by the Romans, all false prophets. That was...
The Shabbat Elevator
“Don’t use the elevator on the left,” Rauf said, “You won’t like it because it goes to the top floor and stops at each floor on the way down for 30-40 seconds.” I didn’t know the purpose of that but didn’t say anything because it seemed like something I should know or...
On the road to Damascus
The road to Damascus On the third day of our not-a-vacation pilgrimage, I find myself standing on the elevation of the foot of Mount Hermon, looking down into Syria. In the image at the top of the post, you see what I saw. Syria is to the left, and the border is...
A Day in the Land of Canaan and on the Sea of Galilee
It seems that God does not want me to sleep. I have been up since 0230. Thinking. I don't get up to write because I think I should try to sleep, so I keep trying, to sleep. I have three blank documents I've started: The Road to Damascus, The Reality of Jesus, and Why...
Mount of the Beatitudes
This site is the daily journal of a pilgrim on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with his wife and thirty others, to walk in the steps of Jesus. It’s mostly serious, a quest for meaning, a quest for faith, a quest for certitude.
S Melarvie