Pilgrim Walk at Bethany Beyond Jordan

This week was full of so many different places and people: The Dead Sea, Kibbutz living, meeting with Bedouins,  traveling to Jordan, seeing Madaba the city of Mosaics and on and on. In this blog I want to share our Pilgrim walk.

Reverend Rolf, a Lutheran pastor, and his wife are living near the Jordan River In Jordan. Their ministry is to be a presence in the desert to the people thee especially the Christians. This is the place where John baptized and Jesus went to meet him and be baptized. 

Years ago King Husssein of Jordan gave free land, near the River Jordan to all the Christian churches.

We had a huge discussion about the meaning or lack there of that each church was building a huge church here. In the end there will be 10 Christian churches with nothing to bind them together except the fact that they are Christian.  It seems an anomaly when unity is so needed in this area of the world.

Our pilgrim walk began -

St. John the Baptist Spring

We prayed," Lord, you are like a pilgrim staff in my hands, show me the way."

Baptism pool.

Platform by the Jordan River. We are sitting on the Jordaian side, looking at Israel.

Soldiers watch guard on both sides.

The Cross and Thorns

We read 1John 3:13-18 Then prayed, "Jesus, standing here before the cross we realize the cost of your love to the world. Let us not forget that suffering is a consequence of love in action. Walk with us O Lord."

We all stood on a step going into the Jordan River while Rev. Rolf blessed us with water from the river and we renewed our Baptism.

We prayed....may we bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives, new sight to the blind and free the oppressed."