The Struggle! The Discomfort! The Challenge!

Golan heights! The Struggle!

The story today took us to an epic overlook of the zealot stronghold, Gamla! (Also known as the Masada of the Galilee) The zealots faced brutal defeat at the hands of the Romans and also faced the horrific decision to intentionally sacrifice their families.

Our community verbally processed this hard topic while expressing differing opinions respectfully and thoughtfully. It was a great example of how a healthy community functions while discussing difficult topics!

Caesarea Philippi! The Discomfort!
Our second hike took us to stone edifices cut from a massive rock wall, where the worship of Pan, half man-half goat, and the worship of Caesar took place. Disturbing sexuality! The story then pulled us past this place of perversion to an overlooking hillside. It was there that we experienced an unexpected turn in the story. We listened to Matthew 16:18..."upon this Rock I will build my church", and this caused us to examine our hearts & the actions we would take in responding to people that we are uncomfortable around.

Omrit! The Decision!
Our third hike took us to an obscure dig site on the Damascus Road. As we sat on the steps of yet another palace of Caesar, we discussed the topics of paying tribute to this ruler who considered himself God, the parable of the Good Samaritan, and Paul's Damascus Road decision. We were challenged to make a decision on how we treat all of humanity.

Kelly & Dawn Bissinger