Homesick for the Holy Land: My Final Thoughts

Being homesick for a city in the Middle East is a strange feeling. I open my Bible and out of habit, turn to read a passage that is now more meaningful to me. I long to be surrounded by Muslims and Jews and miss the lulling sounds of Arabic and Hebrew. I crave falafel, shwarma, rugala--foods I never knew existed! I sing the hymns in church and think about the spots I once sung them: at the shepherds' field in Bethlehem, in the Upper Room of the Last Supper, in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, on the banks of the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus, in Ephesus where Paul journeyed, at the Garden Tomb where Jesus rose on the third day, just to name a few.

I miss Jerusalem. I miss the places and the people and sights and the smells and the overall good-feelings that come from living a life so highly-focused on things of eternal importance. And how is it possible to summarize my time there in just a few sentences? It's not.

It wasn't an average college study abroad; it was a pilgrimage! I flew to Jerusalem in January with 82 strangers who ended up becoming family. The relationships we cultivated there were unlike any others. We studied together, we ate together, we exercised together,  we worshiped together. We grew together. We played and we learned. I have so much love in my heart for these new friends, including the faculty and their families. Not only did I meet 80+ new best friends, I saw cool places! We toured Petra when we visited Jordan. We made stops throughout the country Turkey. We saw the Haggia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. We danced on the shores of the Aegean Sea. We explored ancient Crusader ruins, including castles and ports. We spent ten days living in little bungalows on the Sea of Galilee in Northern Israel. We saw glimpses of Syria, Lebanon, and Greece on our field-trips. We visited the Garden Tomb, Garden of Gethsemane, Western Wall, and Dome of the Rock on a weekly basis.We went to the West Bank and were further enlightened on the pressing Arab-Israeli conflict. There are so many opinions and biases in regards to that situation. But what I remember is the overarching generosity of the people in Jerusalem. They have good hearts. Jews and Muslims inspire me to be a better a believer. There are devout God-fearers everywhere.

Here is a piece of a journal entry I wrote back in January, when I'd been in Jerusalem for a couple weeks:

"This week we had a local journalist come as part of our lecture series. He has been living here for a decade but is originally from England. He asked us to pay attention the way it feels to walk up and down the streets of Jerusalem. He asked us to remember the cheerful business owners, the helpful money changers, the friendly taxi drivers. On the news in the US, we see this region of the world as a place of turmoil and danger. And it is. There is much conflict. But that's not what I notice here. I see a blend of two cultures living, doing their best to stay peaceful. On our way home the other day, we asked a Muslim man how long his family had been in the same neighborhood; he answered 700 years. That is why this conflict is so deep-rooted. This is a place of social and political unrest. But people everywhere are so, so good. There is so much good in the world.

This place is changing me. It's changing me in many ways. I thought I'd come to learn about the Savior, understand the Bible better, see ancient ruins, and try some new Middle Eastern foods. But I'm doing more than that.  I'm learning the lesson that every human being has to learn time and time again. It's the lesson that it's really not about us. It's all about the ones we love, the ones we need to learn to love, and the One who loves us most."

And that place did change me. I'm a different woman now. I was a pilgrim in the Holy Land. I grew closer to my God, my Father in Heaven. I was reminded that without Him, I am nothing. He is the One who lends me the air I breathe. My relationship with His son, Jesus Christ was also strengthened. I saw places where people learned to come unto Him. I saw sites where the Healer first healed and where the Redeemer redeemed us all. Years before Jesus was born on Earth, people were waiting and watching for Him. I will continue to wait and watch for Him, in preparation for the day He will return. I testify that Jesus is the Christ. It is through Him that we can be made holy. He is the light and the life, the truth and the way.