The following is my top 10 list from our recent trip to Israel. It was very difficult to not include many of the unbelievable things we saw and did, but then my list would have been the top 100, and you all would have been bored 
. The biggest criteria I used was the fact that this was a kind of pilgrimage for wifey and I, so the top ten list is composed of those things and events that were especially spiritually significant. 3800 year old buildings were very impressive, but again, the list had to be reduced to 10.
Israel is a very modern, clean, beautiful, small, contrasting in geography and cultures, and SAFE place. The food was fantastic too. The only place that we felt uneasy was in Bethlehem, where there is much Palestinian autonomy. We walked the streets of Jerusalem, even at night many times, and never felt unsafe.
The Israel people love their country and very much encourage everyone to visit. They wish for peace and look forward to the day when the lion will lay down with the lamb. But they say that they prefer to “be the lion, because you never know”. Very wise these people.
We were overwhelmed every day and I am sure we will need a year to mostly process everything. It was the most satisfying, educational, interesting, spiritually uplifting and life changing trip we have ever took(close second was seeing our Compassion child in the Dominican Republic and the trip to Europe with the family). All other future trips will be a tough act to follow, that is for sure.
SO….
#10 is a tie between Bethlehem and the Garden Tomb. The town of Bethlehem is, in contrast to the rest of the country, dirty and run down. Israel has granted the Palestinians some autonomy there and they are proving how unworthy they are. Israel had to erect a wall around Bethlehem because they were strapping bombs on women there and they were going to Jerusalem to blow up restaurants full of kids. Since the wall was erected, the bombing has almost stopped.
Anyway, the Church of the Nativity is there, and it is probably an accurate spot for the birthplace of Christ. It is appreciated how the Catholic church has preserved the site, but the actual church is way overdone with the religious stuff and it actually takes away from the site. But it is probably the birth site of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it was pretty cool. Also, as a bonus, the cell that Jerome wrote the Latin Vulgate in 405 is just next door.
The Garden Tomb is an alternate site for Golgotha and the burial place of Jesus. The authenticity of the site contrasts with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre site and no one knows exactly where it happened. But the Garden Tomb site is absolutely stunning and we took communion next to the tomb. Very moving and beautiful place.
#9. Boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus walked on water and calmed the sea. I was amazed at the size of the “sea” (really a lake). It was a beautiful day when we were there, but the winds can whip up in a hurry and make the Sea of Galilee a very dangerous place.
#8. Pool of Bethesda. This is where in John 5, Jesus healed the person who was sick for 38 years. The site has ruins of a church(from the Muslim invasion) over the pool, but had another chapel close to it. While inside the chapel, there was a huge group of Christians from the Netherlands. They were using the incredible acoustics in there to sing the song( in Dutch), Angus Dei..Allelujah… it was very moving and emotional. I think about it alot. Brothers and sisters in Christ singing to the Lord at such a place. I asked one of the people in the group where they come from and they said the Netherlands, and that they “love the Lord Jesus Christ very much”. Very moving.
More of the top 10 list tomorrow…………………..
