Okay so I have not had a religious blog in 100 years. So, sorry about that. Also, I would like to wish Harry Potter a belated birthday. I hope you all found your own way to celebrate it. I stole Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the movie version, from the library here and watched it overlooking the City of Jerusalem so it was quite a unique experience.
Anyway, there is something very interesting about being in Jerusalem. Although I am living in Jerusalem, walking the path where Christ walked, living on the Mount of Olives, wandering the Old City, setting foot on the Temple Mount, and much more, Jesus lived 2000 years ago. This means that a lot of the roads have changed, new building have been put in place. Often times, saying you walked where Christ walked means you're walking in the general vicinity but probably lots of layers below you or something. Don't get me wrong, this is a million times cooler than simply learning about the Bible from across the world. However, it is a very special experience when I go places that I know Christ has definitely been.
The Jordan River is one of those places.
We have had the opportunity to go the Jordan River twice. One was on the Jordan side of the Jordan River and the other was on the Israel side of the Jordan River. It's very interesting because the river is tiny and it marks the border between the two countries. They have soldiers patrolling up and down the river to prevent any sort of border crossing. It would be very easy to do. They have these areas marked off that you can stand in the water in. Apparently, if you go outside of these boundaries they will shoot you. The teachers warned us 1000 times because I think they were worried about any of us turning this trip into a swimming trip.
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| Jordan side of the River, hence the Arabic |
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| Israel side of the River, hence the Hebrew |
Although this was a very unique experience to be at the baptismal site of Jesus Christ, the Jordan side was miserable. It was like 110 degrees and it was sunny and hot and gross. Everyone melted in Jordan. However, I really enjoyed the experience despite the heat because it was so crowded. On the Israel side, I was watching dozens of baptisms take place. It was so interesting to watch because people came from everywhere and they all had their unique ways of being baptized. Some people dunked themselves in the water dozens of times. Others had pastors. It is just amazing to me to see how different people worship.
It was an amazing experience to go to the Jordan River and it is something that I will be able to brag about for the rest of my life. There was definitely a special Spirit that could be felt there. Even if we don't know the exact location on the river where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, even though Pocahontas has explained that you can't stand in the same river twice, I am still very grateful for the opportunity I had to stand in the same Jordan River that Joshua and the Israelites crossed. It is the same Jordan River that Naaman was commanded by Elijah to to bathe in to cure his leprosy. It is the same Jordan River that Jesus Christ was baptized in. It is definitely something that I wish everyone could experience.
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| Jordan side at Bethabara, or Bethany Beyond Jordan |
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| Israel side at Yardenit |
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| A picture of when Pope Benedict XVI came to the baptismal site in Jordan |
Ok I love this post.
ReplyDelete1. Because I was going to tell you it was not the same river but you quoted Pocahontas before me so we're on the same page
2. You have a fanny pack
3. You took a picture of the Pope Benedict XVI picture.
4. It's your post.
5. You're in Jerusalem
6. You celebrated Harry Potter's Birthday
7. You're just so cool.
Ok the end. Hope I see you some time.