Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV)
One of the Five Pillars of Faith in Islam is Hajj, or pilgrimage, which is a mandatory religious journey for all physically and financially able Muslims to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lifetime. At times, as many as 2 million faithful pilgrims have descended on the city for this religious observance (the record is 3.2 million in 2012). I have often wondered why more Christians don’t feel the same desire to visit the Holy Land of Israel as part of their personal faith journey.
I remember vividly my first visit. My wife, Sandy, and I went on what is called a fam, or familiarization, trip with a number of other clergy and their spouses in 1996. We flew on El Al, the national airline of Israel. Also with us were a number of Jewish passengers, including a large group of Hasidic, or Orthodox Jews. The flight was a red-eye that left New York at 11:00 pm. As morning began to dawn during the middle of our flight, all of the Hasidic Jews, dozens of them, took their tefillin and prayer shawls and gathered on the sunrise side of the airplane for morning prayers (Though we were on a 747, I’m sure the pilots had to compensate for the shift in weight to that side of the aircraft. As they prayed, some passengers became annoyed, but I remember thinking how remarkable it was for these folks to express their faith in God, even at 35,000 feet in the air.
As soon as the wheels of that huge airplane touched the ground, the Israeli National Anthem began playing over the speaker system. There was a spirit of both happiness and homecoming throughout the aircraft. In those days, Ben Gurion Airport had no jetways, so, we deplaned on the tarmac and took a bus to the terminal. When my feet touched Israeli soil, I had an overpowering feeling that I had come home. I still have that feeling every time I visit the Holy Land. It feels like home.
As many of you know by now, Bonnie and I will be leading another pilgrimage to Israel next March 18-30, 2026. Our hope is that you will join us on this exciting journey, but we also know that some of you have concerns about whether it is safe to travel to Israel at this time. Despite all that has happened over the last several months, I believe that you are safer in Israel than you are in Houston or any other large city in America. Having said that, please be assured that I am constantly monitoring the situation through my friend and guide, Reuven, and our travel agent, Sofia, and would never take a group anywhere if it were not safe to do so.
So, how, you ask, can you know that it is safe. The situation today is not unlike it was a few years ago when we were planning a trip during what became known as the Iraqi Missile Crisis. Saddam Hussein was firing Scud missiles into Israel almost every day. These missiles were causing very little damage and no significant injuries. However, because of the frantic news coverage, several people who had signed up for our pilgrimage had cancelled, and others were very worried and shaky. Unsure how to handle the situation, I wrote to Reuven, our guide, and asked him what I could say to people that would ease their minds. Reuven wrote back and said, “Tell people who are worried about coming to Israel now that it is always now in Israel.” “It is always now in Israel.” What profound words!
Our trip went on as planned, there were no incidents, and everyone had an amazing time. We even had t-shirts made that said, “I survived the Iraqi Missile Crisis in Israel.” This next trip will be my 15th visit to the Holy Land, and, like each of the others, will be incredible. Perhaps we will even get t-shirts.
There will be information sessions on September 28th during the Sunday School hour and October 2nd at 6:00 pm. Both will be in the Mace Room. In the meantime, if you have questions or would like a brochure, please call (281-734-9704) or email me ( ). As Jews have been saying for centuries, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
Shalom,
Steve+
