Broken places that need restoration

If you've been reading thIs blog you know by now that our days are long and FULL. Today was no exception!

We began the day with a short hike to the banks of the Jordan River. The flow of the water provided a quiet, soothing backdrop as Scott began his teaching in Genesis with the story of creation. As God hovered over chaos, He created water, bringing peace. From day one, He has been about this same business, bringing peace where there is chaos. We then delved into the story of Jericho, when the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land and came to the banks of the Jordan. After being in the desert for so long, they were still learning to be FREE by living in OBEDIENCE to God. Unlike the beginning of their journey when God parted the Red Sea and led them forward, at the banks of the Jordan, He asks them to step in FIRST....a new step in the path of obedience and freedom, as if saying, "you make the way, take the first step, and I'll be your partner."

This is an UNSHAKABLE part of God - "Tikkun Olam" - to restore harmony to all the broken pieces. Scott pointed up the river to where the water was rapid and churning, asking us to think about the raging, chaotic places in our own lives, broken places that need restoration. In scripture, the Jordan isn't a holy place per se, but a border to be crossed, a place of transformation, a place to go in one way and come out another. And so we ALL, the entire group, stepped into the water, each shared his or her own chaos, the broken places we wanted to be restored. And then, one by one, we were baptized, coming up out of the water to shouts of joy. Such an AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL time to share as a community!

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭

(My husband, Rick, and I also got to renew our wedding vows in the river. A memory for a lifetime!)

The afternoon was spent visiting Beth She'an, a town on the southern tip of the Decapolis (an area known for paganism). The ruins of the Roman-built town are amazing and cover a vast area that makes you gasp as you top the hill and look over and see it all below. We discussed the various architectural remains of the theater, bathhouses, gymnasium (state-run school), agora (marketplace) and temples dedicated to pagan gods, all evidence of a culture heavily influenced by pagan rituals and traditions. We related this to our current culture and discussed how we often become "escape artists", running from these difficult places in our own society rather than meeting them head on, armed with the love of Jesus.

Finally, we ended the day at Susita in the land of the Garasenes, another town in the pagan area of the Decapolis. We read the story in Luke 8, when Jesus sails across the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, and coming ashore, confronts the demon-possessed man. Once again, as Scott explained the "hidden jewels" in the scripture, the whole story went from black and white to technicolor! The area would have been inhabited by a "legion" of Roman soldiers, whose shields were marked with the sign of a boar. Jesus not only gets out of the boat, but he heads DIRECTLY toward the violent, crazed, demon-possessed man and asks him his name. "LEGION", he replies. And as you well know, the demons beg Jesus to allow them to enter a herd of pigs (remember the boar insignia??) and He commands them to do so. They run headlong into the chaos of the sea where they belong! Jesus didn't see the man as evil but went right at the darkness within him and set him free (while also going right at the legion of Roman pagans and their beliefs so craftily represented in this story). Jesus ordered the man to stay and tell his story and later in scripture, when Jesus returns to that place, a huge crowd awaits Him.

So our day ended with the another beautiful picture of Tikkun Olam - God restoring broken pieces to harmony. Our last day in the beautifully rich region of Galilee. On to Jerusalem tomorrow!

Shalom,
Carol Archer