Without a doubt, one of the most transforming experiences of my life was a month-long study tour of Israel I took in seminary with my dad and Dr. Rigsby. I think I saw every rock in the whole country, and there are more rocks in Israel than there are pasty white legs in Waikiki.
After that trip, the Old Testament and Gospels ceased to be little black letters on white pages. Reading Scripture became a visceral experience as I imagined Jesus and his buddies splashing around in the Galilee where I had just walked.
Someday we’ll take a group of people from Harbor to the Holy Land. Until then, the next best thing comes from the miracle workers at Google. BibleMap.org has taken Google’s satellite images and mashed them up with an online Bible. As you browse through Scripture, you can click on any place name, and instantly see it from space.
Hopefully you’ll get some perspective on what first amazed me about Israel: it’s really, really small!