We Are The World Moments

From Holy Land

As I said before, the Holy Land is filled with places where there was a rock where something important probably happened so someone decided to build a church on it. This kind of makes it hard to imagine what things would have been like when that event might actually have happened on said rock.

Galilee and Jerusalem are both filled at each time of year with people on religious pilgrimage to take in the places of the Bible. The above chapel was no exception. It is said that the rock at the altar was the place where Jesus called out to his disciples in a post-resurrection appearance and then later on asked Peter three times if he loved him. (obviously the water line had moved before they built the church)

As interesting as it was to see the chapel it was much more exciting to go outside and picture the disciples having breakfast on the beach. There are some other large rocks outside the chapel where people place their prayers. Kind of like a Christian wailing wall.

When I went outside to put my feet in the water there were some French speaking pilgrims visiting and taking pictures near the shore. I took it all in and then placed my prayers in the rocks outside the chapel before going in to see “the rock” that Jesus may or may not have sat on. As you can see in this picture there were lots of people sitting and worshiping.

What you don’t get to experience is that most of them were Korean and they were all singing hymns. It was really quite beautiful. I could tell that they were on a tour together yet I didn’t feel like I was intruding. I felt like I was one with them. We were from very different cultures but still believed that something divine happened in this area 2000 years ago. Something so divine it was worthy of singing, spreading the message, and even putting a church on top of a rock.

I had many of these “we are the world” moments when I felt like God really does bring people together. I also had a few moments when I saw how humankind has divided us all in the name of God. The good news is that the “we are the world” moments felt like a fulfillment or an answer to a question that I had yet to ask. The other moments felt like something was wrong and we should fix it.

May your “we are the world” moments be plentiful.

Until Everyone Hears,