Chasing the Divine in the Holy Land (24 page)

This pilgrimage has been like exercising a muscle that sometimes cramps up. It would be easier to stop. I'm not used to approaching God in this way. I want to think my old way, that there is something I can do, something good, and then God will be pleased and give me a reward.

Have I been thinking cause-and-effect without even knowing it? I learned to approach God with my mind, and perhaps this is the result. I like to be logical. Maybe my ancestors were like this, too. Maybe this is why we are Reformed. We are happiest with a complete theological system: beginning, middle, and end, with all the main actors playing their appropriate roles. If, at the last minute, the system doesn't quite work, we can quickly say, “Oh well, that's a divine mystery.”

How foolish we are, and slow of wit!

What would happen if I forgot everything I thought I knew and began in mystery? I pull out my notebook to write down the few things I know about God, the sureties I'd stake my life on. They are all mysteries:

God created the world. God made us humans, limited, but with the ability to choose. God allows evil in the world, even great evil. But there is also love. Out of love, God entered the world in Jesus. The world couldn't stand that, tried to stamp it out. But love continues. It is the lifeblood of the church. Love will eclipse time.

I close my pilgrim notebook. These simple sentences are all I know, but they are enough. I don't have to chase after Jesus demanding more.

The chaplain stands up, breaking the deep silence. He makes the invitation to the table: “People shall come from north and south, from east and west, to sit at table in the Kingdom of God.” He offers the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, then picks up the
round loaf of bread. He says, “When our Lord was at table, he took bread, blessed and broke it.” My eyes follow as his hands deliberately tear the loaf and hold the two halves aloft. “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”

He picks up the pitcher and chalice and pours, the wine a red stream into the cup. He picks up the full chalice in one hand, the torn bread in the other, and holds them out to us. “These are the gifts of God for the people of God.”

People begin to go forward. I am in a front pew, so I get in line. I tear off a large chunk of bread and dunk one corner into the cup. The sopping part of the bread is aromatic, and the rest is dense. I chew slowly, relishing this taste of heaven.

Then I return to my seat and watch the other pilgrims go forward, their faces expectant and full of hope. I'm surprised when, beside me, Kyle breaks the silence by singing. His tenor voice quavers in the air. After each line he pauses, and the rest of us sing the line back.

The sound of our voices resonates through the stone chamber. I look up at the sunlight streaming through the high windows. I can almost see our song hanging like the dust motes that speckle the rays of light.

It is time to rise for the Benediction, but I don't want to stand up. When I rise from the rough pew, the pilgrimage will be over; I'm already feeling its absence. Of course, we pilgrims have our good-byes to make. We will take final photos. We will celebrate at our farewell dinner. We will part as friends. But with the end of this communion service, we will be done worshiping together.

It will be up to us whether or not we remain pilgrims.

Shalom, Salaam, Peace.

Questions on Pilgrim Themes

Theme 1: Be Open

A pilgrim is open to where the Spirit leads, even if it's uncomfortable.

• In Chapters 1 and 2, Ruth wrestles with the transition from her normal life to this pilgrimage. She must leave certain things behind in order to open herself and become a pilgrim. When have you had to leave something behind? What is something that you need to practice leaving behind?

• In Chapter 15, the pilgrims visit Tabgha, where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. Ruth feels the Spirit invite her to a new way of approaching her words/writing, which involves both release and multiplication. What in your life needs to be released? What needs to be multiplied? Which process is up to us?

• In Chapter 16, Ruth is moved when she listens to a sermon about the healing of a man who is deaf and mute. Have you ever struggled to open your ears to a message that was painful to hear? What was that process like for you, and where did it lead?

• In Chapter 18, the pilgrims visit Dominus Flevit, a chapel shaped like a teardrop. Do you believe that tears can open the heart? Have you cried tears of anguish that felt sacred?

Tears of joy, relief, release? How has the experience of crying affected your spiritual life?

• In Chapter 21, the pilgrims take communion at Emmaus, where Jesus “had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:35). Have you experienced an opening of your heart/eyes/ears/tongue through a sacrament or holy ritual of some kind? When has place or setting affected your ability to be open to the Spirit?

Theme 2: Cheek to Cheek

A pilgrim has the opportunity to brush against the presence of the Divine.

• In Chapter 3, the pilgrims hear a lecture about Jerusalem, but, for Ruth, the facts drop away, and the Holy One becomes present when she ducks under an olive tree. How have you experienced the divine presence through the natural world?

• In Chapter 10, Ruth stands in a sheepfold in Bethlehem and hears a familiar text as if for the first time. How did you react to this scene? Have you ever encountered a familiar text or a spiritual truth that suddenly seemed completely new and powerful?

• In Chapter 13, the pilgrims visit Masada. Have you had desert experiences that have made you aware of the presence or absence of God? How did the story of the cable-car mishap make you feel? Have you experienced your own fragility and contingency in a similar way? Does that have any relationship to your spiritual life?

• In Chapter 14, the pilgrims swim in the Sea of Galilee, which Ruth describes as brushing against the Divine. What
was your reaction to this experience? Has the touch of water ever been playfully sacred to you?

• In Chapter 17, the pilgrims ascend Mount Tabor, the scene of the Transfiguration. How do you react to the biblical stories that describe Elijah, Moses, or Jesus as radiant like the sun? How appealing or unappealing is it to encounter a prophet, a religious leader, or a divine being? Do you think that supernatural or prophetic encounters occur in our world today? If so, can you think of any examples?

Theme 3: Religious Strangers

A pilgrim cannot avoid the painful connection between religious strangers and estrangement, which sometimes leads to violence, both historically and currently.

• In Chapter 4, Ruth converses with Khalil and discovers the “six degrees of separation” between them. How are you aware of degrees of separation between you and members of different faith traditions? How can a sense of strangeness lead to estrangement, or be overcome? Have you ever become aware of closer connections with people of other faith traditions than you had initially realized?

• In Chapter 5, the pilgrims visit Jerusalem. The atheist Tercier says, “Religion is good for nothing but hatred.” Do you agree or disagree? Does religious belief offer any hope? How might we live in such a way as to contradict Tercier's statement? A Muslim shopkeeper says, “We all worship the same God. We are all brothers and sisters.” Do you agree or disagree? How do you experience your sisterhood/brotherhood with people of other faiths?

• In Chapters 7-9, the pilgrims visit the Jerusalem shrines of three religious traditions. Have you ever visited a holy site
for a faith you do not embrace? What was that like? Are these visits a good idea? How do you react to the Crusader history, which has left its marks in the Holy Land?

• In Chapter 11, Ruth haggles with a street-seller in Bethlehem. Have you ever tried to connect with someone who is very different from you by buying something from them? Did the encounter increase or decrease a sense of estrangement?

• In Chapter 12, the pilgrims visit a Palestinian refugee camp. How do you react to the facts given by the guide, Jihad? How important is it for people of faith to be knowledgeable about what's happening politically in the Holy Land?

• In Chapter 20, Ruth encounters two Muslim boys who run at her with sticks. Have you ever interacted with people who thought you were an infidel? Have you ever interacted with persons whom you regarded as infidels? Can you describe these interactions? What do you think is the link between religious belief and violence? What does the last line of the chapter imply?

Questions for Bible Study

C
HAPTER 1:
U
PROOT
M
E

I am the bread of life. (John 6:48)

This is the first of seven “I Am” statements of Jesus (chapters 8–15 in the book of John). What does it mean to you that Jesus is the bread of life? In what way do you experience Jesus as bread? How does communion feed you? How has communion functioned to welcome people in, or keep people out?

C
HAPTER 2:
T
IME
LIKE
S
AND

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8)

This verse in Hebrews refers to the story of God calling Abram/Abraham to go somewhere unknown (Genesis 12). The story of Abraham's call is foundational to the three great monotheistic traditions. How does that commonality strike you? In what way do you relate to this story? How is this a pilgrim text?

C
HAPTER 3:
O
LIVE
T
REES
AND
S
PARROWS

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. (Matthew 6:26)

Ruth slips under an olive tree and remembers this Scripture from the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7 in Matthew). What do you learn from “the birds of the air”? In your life right now, what are you “gathering into barns”? When you consider the whole Sermon on the Mount, do Jesus' words seem to be more about right doctrine or right practice? How do either of these relate to pilgrimage?

C
HAPTER 4:
S
IX
D
EGREES

They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. (Hebrews 11:13-14)

Hebrews 11 and 12 are chapters about faith. As people of faith, we are all pilgrims. This verse seems to ask, Does faith provide a homeland, or is faith the path of seeking a homeland? How does your faith guide your actions when you encounter other “strangers and foreigners on the earth”?

C
HAPTER 5:
O
PPOSING
F
ORCES

From one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth . . . so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him — though indeed he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:26-27)

In Acts 17, the apostle Paul is preaching to the Greeks, seeking points of commonality with his hearers. In what way does this
verse help you connect with Paul or his hearers? How does this verse speak to you as a pilgrim? How far, or near, is God? Do you consider yourself to be a seeker, or a finder, of God?

C
HAPTER 6:
C
OMPELLED

As a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. (Acts 20:22)

In Acts 20 the apostle Paul acknowledges the difficult road that lies ahead of him, which is nevertheless unavoidable. When have you felt driven by God to do something that you knew might lead to difficulties? For you as a pilgrim, how does this verse give you sustenance for the difficult pilgrim path?

C
HAPTER 7:
S
IN
-
CERE

Lord, my heart is not proud. (Psalm 131:1)

Psalm 131 is one of the Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120–134). It is one of the briefest and most humble of the Psalms. How does this language of humility resonate with your spiritual life, especially your prayer life? What new meaning might it have for you as a pilgrim? A Christian lives in humility while still proclaiming faith in Christ. How do you experience this tension, or resolve it?

C
HAPTER 8:
S
ISTERS

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! (Mark 10:47)

In Mark 10 Jesus heals a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who calls out for mercy. When has your heart echoed this beggar's cry? How might the repetition of this cry further open a pilgrim's heart? What thoughts or feelings surface when you pray the “Jesus Prayer”?

C
HAPTER 9:
S
TONE
C
OLD

Come to him, a living stone . . . and let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

The book of First Peter can be read as a series of instructions to new disciples. In what way does the image of “living stone” speak to you as a disciple? What does it mean to you that God might build you into a structure greater than yourself? Stones are common in the Bible, and omnipresent in the Holy Land. What do stones represent?

C
HAPTER 10:
B
IRTH
AND
D
EATH

I am the gate for the sheep. (John 10:7)

This verse is another of the “I Am” statements of Jesus. It also calls to mind Psalm 23, which is the “Shepherd Psalm.” How have you experienced the shepherding quality of Jesus? How are you like a sheep or a goat? Remember the swaddling cloths. How does a shepherd tend the transition between life and death?