Mount Nebo and the River Jordan

Today was a big day in Jordan. We began at a church in Madaba which is a heavily Christian community near Ammnon, the capital of Jordan. The church was an important place of worship during the Byzantine era but was partially destroyed by earthquakes. A beautiful mosaic map which was on the floor of the church has been partially restored to reveal a pilgrims' guide to the holy land. There were many other breathtaking mosaics in the church.

We next went to Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses was allowed to see the promise land yet not allowed to enter it. What a beautiful spot. It was a place to ponder how to be satisfied with not getting what you want; about the fullness of life which comes knowing that others will enjoy something that you won't experience; and learning to make do with what you have.

We then went to the site where most scholars believe Jesus was baptized. This was the 1st place we'd been on our trip that wasn't crowded. We walked the path to the spot and we were the only ones there. We had planned to celebrate the Eucharist and renew our baptismal vows but had not expected such privacy. We had a moving service and then walked to the Jordan to put on feet in it. Across on the river (a mere fifteen or so feet) was the Israeli side where many pilgrims dressed in baptismal robes were going into the water to renew their vows.

A few hours later, we were in the promised land, Israel. As always the security was tight and several of us, myself included, were subject to intensive baggage searches.  When I told our Israeli guide of our frustrations, he smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said that they could afford to make any mistakes.

At the end of a long day, we were glad to check into our rooms, have a good supper and get to bed--which is what I am about to do!

blessings,
robert