For years I have heard Jews talk about an indescribable feeling that comes upon them when they return to the land of their ancestors for the first time. Although excited on the day my plane landed in Tel Aviv, most of the anticipated emotion hit me a few days later. We hired a tour guide who drove us to En-Gedi, where David hid from Saul. Here we hiked amidst breath taking water falls pouring out successively over one pool after another like bursts of paradise, each rising level more beautiful than the last. We also passed the ancient city of Jericho, saw the ruins of Masada, the Qumran Caves ( of Dead Sea Scrolls fame) and drove along the Dead Sea itself, where (of course) I took the same dip that had fascinated so many tourists before me. As the water kept me afloat without any effort at all, I felt like a kid at play, having the time of my life.

And yet, nothing, absolutely nothing, could replace the rush of emotion flooding my soul as I gazed across the Jordon River to the ancient mountains of Moab (Jordan today) knowing that on one of those mountains, Moses, before dying, looked down upon the Promised Land for the first time. Seeing this unchanged wilderness, just as my ancestors experienced it while entering the area four-thousand years ago, I felt connected to the country with a serenity beyond description.

I do not believe one must be in the Holy Land to be close to God. If that were true, then untold billions could never be close to God. But there is a peace and connection to my roots which permeated my soul as my eyes soaked in the beauty of the Judean Desert. I have never found desert beautiful before and believe me I have had plenty of opportunity, living in Arizona and driving through Nevada, New Mexico, etc. This desert looks different but it was more than that. True, knowing exactly where I was made the situation adventurous and sentimental. Still, there was something else; viewing for the first time; the mountains, hills and valleys promised by God, this same God who lives inside of me through His Spirit.

I may never understand it completely. I am an analytical person by nature, but this is one of those experiences of life that I am happy to not understand.

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