Article August 22, 1983 Issue

The closeness of the Christ

JACK V. SMITH

My wife and I returned some time ago from a most impressive and moving trip to the Holy Land, where we followed in the geographical footsteps of the Master, Christ Jesus, and his disciples.

In our travels we traced the Master's steps from Bethlehem to Nazareth and on to Tiberias and Capernaum, where Jesus started his healing ministry. We dipped our feet into the Jordan, where the Bible tells us John baptized Jesus, and were awed by walking in the same temple area where Jesus healed the man with the withered hand.

Anticipating our trip, I'm sure I felt that I was going to be super close to the Christ—closer than I'd ever been before. But was I? Imagine the scene: there I was, seated under an old olive tree, the Garden of Gethsemane at my feet, and all of old Jerusalem spread out before me like a jewel in the desert. The feeling was starting to mount that the Christ was very near. Suddenly it dawned on me with great clarity that I wasn't any closer to the Christ right there in the Holy Land than I would be anywhere else! And this realization was a lovely revelation rather than a disappointment. I was grateful for that spiritual thought that had come to me so clearly, and wanted to share it; it's really very comforting.

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