Jay Fern had always imagined Jesus making his way toward the cross with everyone stopping and watching.
Standing in modern-day Jerusalem, however, and seeing the bustle — hearing shopkeepers call out to passersby about their wares — he now imagines some probably kept on with business as usual that day.
It’s a moment looked back on by millions, but to some, perhaps, “It was just another crucifixion that the Romans were carrying out,” he said.
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Jeri Reichanadter also took a recent trip to Israel. One day she stood looking over Shepherds’ Field outside Bethlehem. It was easy for her to picture shepherds out tending sheep on a field like this at the time of Jesus’ birth, and the thought made her a little emotional.
That’s how it goes with a trip to Israel, travelers say. There are scenes that resemble what they had pictured. There are scenes very different from that, such as an ornate church instead of a stable built at the site associated with Jesus’ birth. There are more crowds than most travelers expect, and yet amid it all people are inspired as they see scenes from the Bible in a new way.
“There’s a lot of hustle and bustle, but in the quiet of your heart it becomes a personal experience for you,” said Bettye Parks. She organized a trip in April made by a group from Brookville Road Community Church in New Palestine.
Other local churches have also planned trips to Israel. A group from Brandywine Community Church in Greenfield traveled there in March, and New Palestine United Methodist Church is looking ahead to a trip in 2019.
The Brookville Road trip was the third visit to Israel for Parks, who first went with another church group and later organized a 2015 trip for Brookville Road.
After that first trip, Parks came back feeling the journey was one she could make again and again.
“I had a song in my heart every day,” she said of that first trip. “I was so full of joy and expectation. I wanted everyone to experience that.”
This latest trip was different because it included stops in not only Israel, but also Greece and Turkey. After visiting Jerusalem, the Jordan River, an empty tomb and other sites of biblical significance, the group flew to Athens to retrace some of the steps made by the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys.
They stopped at the place downhill from the Acropolis where Paul talked to the philosophers about their statue “to an unknown god,” as told in the seventeenth chapter of the Bible’s book of Acts.
“Paul was always sharing the love of Christ (in ways) that met people where they were,” Fern said. “The next time you read it, your mind goes right there. … Just to see that place where he’s standing, and we’re standing in the same place.”
The Brookville Road group met several times in February and March to discuss the historical significance of what they would see. Parks said Kris Sorensen, lead pastor at Brookville Road, carried a Bible as they visited sites and would read a passage that corresponded with what the group was seeing. Fern, pastor of worship arts at the church, had songs picked out as well.
“Pastor Kris had the Scripture ready for every site we visited, which brought Paul’s journeys into full focus for us,” Parks said. “The entire group was very primed and ready to receive the spiritual message.”
Reichanadter said the Brandywine group also paused to read corresponding Bible passages at each stop it visited. There was a time of praying and singing together at Magdala, hometown of Mary Magdalene, that she found to be a powerful moment of the trip.
Though the groups were there reflecting on sites meaningful to them in their Christian faith, Reichanadter noticed the mix of religions being followed in a land holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. There are “Shabbat elevators” designed to stop at every floor so orthodox Jews will not have to break the Sabbath by doing the work of pushing elevator buttons. As the Brandywine group looked out over the site where David battled Goliath the Philistine giant, the group’s Muslim bus driver noted the time had come for Islamic prayers, pulled out a mat and began praying toward Mecca.
The group also saw Bethlehem, Jericho, the Golan Heights and the pools of Bethesda. Seeing these and other sites felt like walking through the whole Bible, Reichanadter said, but in reality “we didn’t even scratch the surface.”
Still, she said even that glimpse has given her a better understanding of the Bible.
“I guess it’s making the Bible come to life more — not that I didn’t believe it, but it was hard to imagine,” Reichanadter said. “I can just imagine it more.”
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Tips for those traveling to Israel:
–Wear the right footwear. “There’s a ton of walking,” said Jeri Reichanadter. “Bring your walking shoes. Don’t be trying to go in flip flops.”
–Know how adventurous your tastebuds are. The food might be a stretch for a picky eater. If you’re one of those, Reichanadter said, pack some protein bars or another snack.
–Budget for spending money. Ever pay $9 for ice cream and a soda? You might in Israel. While some meals might be included in a tour package, lunch out while touring might be a little pricey. A tour company can recommend how much to set aside each day for food and souvenirs. “They’ll help you understand how much you should bring,” Reichanadter said.
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