Memory not just history

As we continue our journey, moving out of the desert into the “city” life, we are coming closer and closer as a community. And what better way to represent a strong community than to cheer and support each other in our Mikveh at the Jordan River. That is where our day started. Mikveh, as y’all probably know by now from the other blogs, is basically a repentance bath. As you wash your head, heart, hands, and feet, (in that order) you repent for all the wrong doings in your life. Rabbi Scott showed us a picture of our struggles in the white water rapids of the rivers of our lives. It looks fun at first, but we find ourselves getting submerged into much deeper water with no way out on our own. As our insula (community) began to share about the people in their lives stuck in the middle of the white water rapids, we realized how much we wanted to help them get out and come alongside the shore. But it is only through Yeshua that they can be brought to the shore. Then and only then can we help them stay out of the rapids. We then did a full baptism of all those in our community thats wanted to. One by one, as they came out of the water, we screamed and shouted (happily of course) for each one who was renewed in the Jordan River. What an amazing experience to know that you were submerged in the water that Yeshua himself was as well. Personally, as I came up and everyone was shouting I heard “This is my daughter…in whom I am well pleased.”

After the Jordan, we made our way to Beth-She’an. We marched our way up a hill, in the blazing heat, and Rabbi Scott pointed out a mountain range in the horizon. As we came over the hill, everyone “oohh” and “awed” at what was just past the top. Lo and behold, a Roman city. Phones and cameras immediately came out to take tons of pictures of the sight in front of us. After we got our fill of photos, Rabbi brought to our attention that not one person from our insula got their cameras out to take a picture of what Hashem had created, but what man had created. He told us that he understood that the Hellenistic, Roman way is appealing because it is what we know today. We then followed him down into the city and walked around the broken city. As we learned about what really went on in the midst of the city, it all of a sudden didn’t seem so beautiful. Pagan worship and selfish, immoral living just isn’t worth taking a picture of. It is in cities and weather (mind you it was blazing hot with no wind) that we find ourselves holding to our desert experience, which brings us a lot closer as a community.

The next stop we took was to Susita/Hippos. This is where the story of the bloody, naked guy that ran out to Yeshua because he was possessed by demons. Yeshua, being the Healer, cast the demons onto some nearby pigs and sent them over the cliff to the Galilee. Rabbi impressed upon us how important it is to tell our story, because that is what Yeshua commanded the man to do instead of joining him. Part of our story is knowing that we are no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of Hashem.

Our last stop of the day was to Areamos Topos. The Sermon on the Mount. Yeshua fed 5,000 people with only 2 fish and 5 loaves. Now, we have heard this story over and over and over again through our lives. But Rabbi broke each number down bit by bit to show us how each one is referred to again in the Bible somewhere else. You could say that our minds were blown. If I told you everything he was telling us, this blog would be about 5 pages to really explain everything.

We are learning that our knowledge of the Bible needs to become memory, not just history. Now that we have seen and experienced some of our childhood Bible lessons, that is exactly what is happening. We will now be able to recall the times we’ve been to each place as we reread them throughout our lives. We are a people of memory; not history.

As the wise Rabbi Scott Heare said, “That is day 9.”

Madison (MLM)

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