Touch to Believe or Told to Believe

Before setting foot on the Holy Land, events and incidents described in the Bible sometimes appeared to be like once-upon-a-time kind of stories that happened at some distant and far away places. In particular, names of places and locations hardly have any impact on the appreciation of the events. That has changed after I visited Israel and part of Jordan.

Throughout the trip, we saw pilgrims doing specific acts to fulfill their long-held wishes - baptism at the Jordan River, touching a piece of relic, praying at a church and the list goes on.

There are people who may find it hard to accept the notion that believers need to "touch" a piece of stone or "feel" a hole in a rock projection or be baptized in the very water Jesus was baptized in order to feel connected to God and be assured of His power.

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Pilgrims come to be baptized in Jordan River.

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We touched a limestone rock outcrop inside the Church of Primacy of St. Peter, Tabgha near Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee which according to tradition is the spot where Jesus is said to have laid out a breakfast of fish and bread for his disciples.

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The Church of Gethsemane also known as the Church of All Nations at Mount Olives contains a stone protrusion which according to tradition is where Jesus knelt and prayed agonizingly the night before his trial and crucifixion. Many pilgrims come to touch and pray at this relic.

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At the Stone of Unction also known as the Stone of Anointing inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, we saw streams of people stopping to touch or pray at this relic. According to tradition, this is the place where the body of Jesus was laid after being taken down from the cross and prepared for burial.

Even Pope Francis stopped to pray at this relic during his recent visit to the Holy Land.

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Long queue of pilgrims waiting to touch the rock of Calvary in the Chapel of Crucifixion inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to tradition, the rock of Calvary contains a cavity said to be where the cross that was used to crucify Jesus was planted.

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Many find such acts objectionable because it is bordering idolatry and cause people to focus on objects rather than the divine being. But then, going through rituals and touching items deemed holy and powerful has been a Jewish tradition. Humans are just curious and they love to touch and see.

Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree in order to "see" Jesus. For his effort, salvation came to him (Luke 19:1-10).

In Jericho, we stopped by a sycamore tree to remember Zacchaeus.

 

A woman who simply believed that she would be cured of her internal bleeding problem of 12 years if only she could "touch" the cloak of Jesus. She did just that and she was healed (Mark 5: 25-34).

Naaman, an army commander who suffered from leprosy was told by Prophet Elisha that if he wanted to be cured, he had to go through the ritual of washing himself 7 times in Jordan River. Though reluctantly, he followed through and he was cured (2 Kings 5).

As long as there are individuals who believe in a powerful being in the unseen realm, there will not be a definitive answer whether one needs to touch some holy objects to affirm belief or simply just believe when told to believe.

The Cost of Peace and Security in Israel

Our tour bus entered Jerusalem on 30 May 2014. Upon reaching Mount. Olives, my wife and I disembarked and set foot on this mountain for the first time. This  place evoked many memories, chief among them is the agonising moment Jesus endured in his prayer at Gethsemane the night before his trial and crucifixion the next day.

 

From the mountain looking towards the southwest, we saw the old Jerusalem city - a city that was destroyed and rebuilt countless of times over the centuries with untold misery and suffering. Jerusalem has since the Six-Day War in 1967 been declared as the "eternal capital" of Israel after the latter captured the East Jerusalem in that war.

I was amazed to read the history of this nation and found it beyond comprehension that such a minute country could withstand the might of some of its neighbouring countries combined.

 

The very next day after Israel declared the establishment of this nation on 14 May 1948, its Arab neighbours invaded Israel and fought the Israelis army. In the end, Israel prevailed.

 

In the Six-Day War that lasted six days from 5 to 10 June 1967, Israel fought against three nations - Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Though greatly out-numbered in terms of troops and military hardware, Israel not only won but captured additional territories. In that war, Israel deployed 100,000 troops against the combined opposing troops of 240,000. Israel had 300 combat aircrafts, 800 tanks against 957 combat aircrafts and 2,504 tanks from the Arab nations. Israelis forces won a decisive war and captured the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsular from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. This was another story of David verses Goliath (1Samuel 17) or the story of Elijah verses the 400 prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18: 14-24)!

Map of Israel after the Six-Day War verses the current Israel.

 

Israel has since signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. But peace with the other Arab neighbours is still elusive.

The high wall erected between Israelis territory and the Palestinian-controlled areas like West Bank and the Gaza Strip is testimony to the precariousness and fragility of the peace they have.

Armed troops were common sight in a number of the sites we visited. Here in the Dead Sea, solders moved freely among the tourists. The presence of solders though reassures the visitors of their safety but it also confirms the threat that tourists may have to contend with. With 3.54 million tourists visited Israel in 2013, any let down in security may cost the country dearly.

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After spending time in the “Upper Room” on Mount Zion - traditionally remembered as the site of Jesus’ institution of the Last Supper - we walked past the Chamber of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, our itinerary did not allow us to enter and view its exhibits. This modest but powerful memorial serves as a solemn reminder of the unimaginable suffering endured by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. For Israelis, however, remembrance is not only about the past - it also shapes their perception of present threats. The fear of annihilation remains deeply ingrained, especially as some of Israel’s neighbours continue to voice calls for its destruction. In particular, Israel harbours no illusions about Iran’s intentions should it succeed in developing a nuclear weapon, viewing such a prospect as an existential threat to the survival of the Jewish state.

 

Israel deeply honours those who risked their lives to protect the Jewish people during times of persecution. While walking around Mount Zion, I noticed a directional sign marked “Oskar Schindler” near the bus parking area. It immediately reminded me of the German industrialist whose story was immortalized in the film Schindler's List. During the Holocaust, Schindler is credited with saving the lives of more than a thousand Jews by employing them in his factories, shielding them from Nazi extermination. For his extraordinary courage and humanity, Israel recognized him as “Righteous Among the Nations.” After his death on 9 October 1974, Schindler was laid to rest in Mount Zion - the only former member of the Nazi Party to be honoured in this way. His simple grave, located near the Zion Gate along the southern wall of the Old City, remains a place of remembrance and gratitude for those who know his remarkable legacy.

 

Israelis will do whatever it takes to ensure that the peace and security of their nation will not be compromised.

An aerial view of the Wailing Wall and the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Photo downloaded from Internet site.

Today, one of the deepest sorrows for religious Jews is the reality that the holiest site in Judaism - the Temple Mount (Mount Moriah) - remains occupied by the Islamic shrine and mosque complex. For them, this sacred ground is where both the First Temple built by King Solomon and the Second Temple once stood, before their destructions in antiquity. Each day, countless Jews gather at the Western Wall - often called the Wailing Wall - pouring out their prayers and tears with the hope that one day the Temple will be restored on Mount Moriah, ushering in a time of spiritual renewal and fulfillment of prophecy.

The Promised Land viewed from Mount Nebo

On 26 May 2014, we left KL for a 6-day pilgrimage tour of Israel. Our plane landed at Queen Alia International Airport, Amman in Jordan in the early morning of 27 May 2014.

After breakfast, we headed straight to the 19th Century Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Madaba in Jordan. From Madaba, we moved to our next destination, Mount Nebo.

On 27 May 2014, my wife and I together with the other Malaysian tour group members set foot on Mount Nebo, a mountain situated at the east of southern end of Jordan River and a mere 13Km from the northern tip of the Dead Sea. During Moses' time, this place was in the territory of Moab but is now within the territory of modern day Jordan.

More than three thousand years ago, Moses climbed this same mountain to view the Promised Land - the land that stretches from Jordan river to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. On top of this mountain, God said to Moses, "This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I will give this land to your descendants. I have let you see the land, but you cannot go there". Sadly, Moses never made it to the Promised Land and he died in Moab at the age of 120 and was buried there. To this day, no one knows where his grave is.

Unlike Moses who had to literally climb the mountain, we now have the luxury of being driven to the car park near the top of the mountain by air-conditioned bus on well paved road. What a difference!

Aerial view of Mount Nebo.

A map from the web site illustrates well the vast tract of land
to the west of Mt. Nebo which is present day Israel.

At the time of Moses, it was hard to imagine that over the vast desert and barren land, there could be found land of milk and honey as promised by God. This is still equally true today when we cast our eyes over this vast barren plain with hardly any sign of green and water.

The ladies of the Group posed for a group photo on top of Mount Nebo.

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This land of milk and honey slowly emerged in a new country, Israel since its founding on 14 May 1948. With a land area of only 20,770 Sq. Km which is barely 1/3 the size of Sabah and more than half of the land is desert, Israel has managed to become a world leader in agricultural technologies. 

Compared to Sabah which has an average annual rainfall of 3,000mm, Israel experiences the opposite extreme. In the extreme south, rainfall averages near 30mm (1.18 inches) annually. In the north, average annual rainfall is around 900mm (35.4 inches).

Even as our tour bus traversed along the highway in Israel, the sights of agricultural activities speak volume of the emphasis and development in this sector.

Credit must be given to the Kibbutz which is the pioneer and the driving force behind the success story of Israeli agriculture. Kibbutz is a collective community formed originally for agriculture. Today, some Kibbutzim has diversified and ventured into other sectors such as high-tech and military industries.

We had lunch in at least two Kibbutz. In one of them, in-house service is minimal and patrons are required  to queue up for their meals and to pick up their own soiled utensils and deposit them into the large collection bin for washing by the staff.

Israel is also a world leader in the development of solar energy, water conservation and geothermal energy. 

Indeed, God delivers what He promised Abraham and Moses!

Note: This blog is last edited on 7 December 2022.

Moments with Grandchildren

After coming back from a recent trip to Perth, KK is liked a torture chamber because of the exceptional hot weather. Literally 36 degrees C everyday.

Spending time with our fast growing up grandchildren is always a welcome break. Knowing the special bond the grandparents have with them, they know how to take full "advantage" of the presence of their grandparents. The most frequent request of Nathan to the gung-gung or po-po was: Asked to be carried. Of course, he would not be disappointed at most occasions. Though technology has enabled grandparents to communicate with the grandchildren via Skype, it is still a very different experience to be able to feel and hug each other.

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Grace is growing at a phenomenal speed. By the time I left Perth, Grace was able to stand unaided for at least 3-4 seconds.

Nathan is maturing fast into a young boy. One of the things I am most impressed is his ability to verbally express his feeling - sad, happy or felt loved. This is truly a quality rare among most people.

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"This is persimmon!"

Nathan is maturing fast into a young boy. One of the things I am most impressed is his ability to verbally express his feeling - sad, happy or felt loved. This is truly a quality rare among most people.

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It was a feeling of endless happiness when Grace responded and crawled towards gung-gung and po-po whenever she sensed the signal for her to come. Indeed, grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old.