It’s Friday morning here on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Today, we pack up and make our way to Jerusalem. I remember a preacher preaching a series some years ago during Lent. His recurring scriptural tag line was “Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem.” He was in his last days facing his certain death, resurrection and ascension. We are setting our minds and hearts on Jerusalem.

So far we’ve been studying, learning and experiencing the places and cultural context of many of the Old Testament and New Testament stories. My mental pictures of these stories are being changed. I’m more and more looking through the lens of middle eastern and Jewish culture and more and more leaving that North American lens in the camera bag.

So, it’s off to Jerusalem. We will, no doubt, study, learn and experience a lot of what we are already familiar. And like the first half of the journey here, the experience will be a deeper, richer and a long lasting one.