Dearest Rachel –
Yesterday morning, I woke up to this sight as I headed outdoors on the way to church:
I suppose it shouldn’t have come as so much of a surprise; the night before had me falling asleep to the sound of rain on the bedroom roof, and it had been getting chilly as the evening wore on. But as with just about every year, it’s always a bit of a surprise to see the first accumulation of snow on the ground, even if it is deep enough into November for that to be perfectly reasonable to expect.
At least whatever landed on the driveway and roads immediately melted, so we didn’t have to worry about the annual case of amnesia regarding how to drive on snowy roads. Then again, if any time of the week would be good for folks to have to deal with a refresher course in the subject, it would be Sunday morning, when there isn’t that much traffic for those who do have to drive to contend with.
It might amuse you to discover that my first reaction to this sight – after the impulse to take a picture of the quiet scene, where even the leaves on the trees had yet to be sufficiently disturbed to spill what had fallen upon them – was along the lines of “well, we’re getting out of town just in time, aren’t we?” Granted, it’s not quite the same as decamping for the Caribbean in the middle of January, and it’s not as if we’ve dodged the first snow of the year – on the contrary, we’ve stuck around just long enough to witness it – but we’re clearly getting away from the cold just as it’s starting to make its presence known in a palpable way.
And it’s not as if escaping the weather was the purpose of this trip, not by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, it’s going to be warmer there – it is the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, further south than anywhere in continental Europe (and roughly in line with places like Dallas or Phoenix in terms of latitude) – but as has been explained to us in the past, this is a tour, not a vacation. There are sights to see, and lessons to be learned, that can’t be accomplished to the same extent anywhere else in the world, since this is where it all happened in the first place, and so many of the lessons of the scripture had basis in the land itself that the people lived in.
To be sure, both Daniel and I have been there before, and we’ll likely see more than a few things that we’ve already seen on previous trips (some of which I’ve written to you about, and others which you might remember from the travels we took together, assuming memories remain with you on your side of the veil). There are moments when I wonder if we’re not taking up space that could have been filled by someone else who has yet to see these places, and could benefit from doing so. Then again, it’s hard for me to pass up the opportunity to go again (and bring Daniel along with me – Israel and Japan seem to be among the few overseas places he’s currently willing and eager to travel to), especially since the chance doesn’t come around every year, or even every other year.
And it seems that every single time we go, there’s another site that’s been dug up in the meantime, or further discoveries in locations where excavations have been underway for ages, all of which continue to add credence to the scripture by laying bare the places where it all happened. There are other alleged holy books which, if you go to where they claim things happened, you will find nothing, but here? Even after nearly two millennia of diaspora, it’s all there, and there’s always more to find and see.
Not only that, but on a more modern note, this return has the underlying context of how God continues to look after His people and His land. True, there are those that argue that the Christian church has supplanted the children of Israel as His “chosen people” – and the fact that the Israelis rely more on force than faith, using technology and overwhelming arms rather than God’s direct intervention to defeat their enemies suggests that they aren’t taking their marching orders from Him like they used to three millennia ago – but it’s undeniable that they continue to survive, and even flourish, despite far to much of the world standing in opposition to them, for some reason.
Interestingly – and this has been spoken of by their own leadership at the highest levels – those that stand in their corner have found themselves benefiting from their support. It’s almost as if that promise made to Abraham that “I will bless those that bless you, and curse those you curse you” was still in full force. In which case, it may be better to be on the side of God’s “chosen people,” no matter who you believe owns the title. Additionally, both groups who might claim the mantle ought to present a unified front to the world; if they have the Lord at their back, who can stand against them?
Not that we’re going into any war zone, though, honey; I don’t even think we’re bothering with any sites in the West Bank due to the recent Troubles. If I’m mistaken about that, I promise that I’ll let you know. You’ll definitely get photos, although I can’t promise to be shooting much in the way of film; that’s the problem with a go-go-go tour, there’s not a lot of down time to edit and upload footage. Still, I’ll be bringing both phones and a selfie stick, so we’ll have to see what happens.
In the meantime, we still have to deal with the airline situation – which is a whole other issue that might make for a separate letter, once we’re at one airport or another. Right now, I’ve got to finish packing, so if you’ll excuse me…
…oh, but if you can keep an eye on us, and wish us luck, honey, I’d sure appreciate it. You should know by now that we’re going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 