For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Shalom! It is the universal greeting in Israel, and most believe it means “peace.” That is partially right;…
I felt guilty. Here I was, frolicking around on a camel at a holy site, the Mount of Olives, and I was giddy. The Mount of Olives seemed to be Jesus’ special place. Luke tells us that each day he was in Jerusalem he taught at the temple, and each evening he spent the night…
The weather was not perfect for a boat ride. We were scheduled to go out on the Sea of Galilee in a smaller vessel, similar to the fishing boat Peter would have owned, but a brewing storm prevented it. Later that day, with the waves still choppy, and with spotty rain, we did go out…
Olive trees. They are everywhere in Israel, and they are very fruitful. The olive tree has always symbolized the glory, splendor, and roots of Judaism and Christianity. While touring old Jerusalem one day, we stopped into a shop owned by Jewish author and scholar, Moshe Avraham Kempinksi, and I asked him about the olive tree….
Did you know that an olive tree’s roots never die? Trunks of the olive tree may last about 800 years, but even though the lives of the trunk end, there are always young shoots off the old tree that form new baby olive trees. I realized our ancestral roots never die either. No matter who…