Caravan prays for Iraq at historic Holy Land sites

Sep 24, 2003
JONI B. HANNIGAN
Managing Editor

PETRA, Jordan (FBW)—Traveling in a caravan of vehicles across the Arabian desert, relief workers who had been scheduled to go into Iraq, but instead were diverted to Jordan, prayed together Sept. 5 that God would reveal His purpose to them.

PETRA

The Baptist workers* who had journeyed from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina prayed and reflected at the sites of the very cradle of Christianity.

Stopping first at the ancient "lost" city of Petra, the 19 team members traveled on foot throughout the historical site where literally hundreds of buildings, facades, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples and a 3,000-seat amphitheater from the 1st century A.D. greeted them.

Petra is the site of one of the high places where sacrifices were offered during the time of the biblical David—though scholars disagree on whether the city was the biblical Seir and Sela (both words defined as "rock") where the Edomites were said to have dwelt.

According to local tourist information, Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, Arab settlers who arrived in the area 2,000 years ago to develop what would become a nomadic Bedouin stronghold. Today there are about 350 Bedouin families who reside in camps throughout the region and provide transportation via camel, horse, donkey and cart rides to weary visitors. They also operate lively shops and restaurants at the site and are seen throughout the area selling jewelry and crafts created in their camps.

The team of relief workers sampled the various forms of transportation available at different points throughout the desert trails—some rode on camels and then switched to carts for another part of the journey—while some walked throughout the site. Several of the team members engaged in a strenuous hike through mountain paths and staircases to the High Place of Sacrifice, 1,035 meters above sea level.

Petra is set deep inside a narrow gorge that is accessible through a waterway or siq, carved deep into the rock and 1.2km long. The cliffs are 100m high and the path opens to reveal Petra’s most famous monument, Al Khazneh (The Treasury). Used in the final sequence of the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the towering faÃ§ade presents a stark contrast through the high walls of the Siq.

One of the workers said the journey back in time at Petra helped her to grasp the significance of water and perfume as precious in the arid, dry desert—and how she now understood the biblical significance of those items in a way that she had not previously.

"The message of Scripture is more alive to me now," she told Florida Baptist Witness.

Another worker said sometimes what is read in the Bible is difficult to understand unless a person has been in the desert, seen the value of water and realized the rarity of perfume in a place where few flowers grow.

"It is all so foreign and you cannot connect and just don’t understand," she said. "Then you see it for real and it all fits. That just puts a whole different perspective on things."

As for the lack of Christianity in this heavily Muslim part of the world, another worker said it’s fitting the team traveled to Jordan to help the Iraqis.

"Everything is coming together," he said. "God has been to Israel. This is the Holy Land, too. The sons of Ishmael—they are here in this Holy Land and God wants to raise up the sons of Ishmael, just like the sons of Israel."

MOUNT NEBO

The caravan continued to Mount Nebo Sept. 6 where team members prayed overlooking the Jordan Valley toward Iraq.

Mount Nebo is the place where God reaffirmed the covenant of faith as described in the Old Testament books of Deuteronomy and Numbers. The mountain rises from the Transjordanian plateau and overlooks the green swath of the Jordan Valley all the way to the glittering Dead Sea. On a clear day, the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem are visible. One of Jordan’s most sacred sites, it is a "protected" place for Christians.

Presumed to be where Moses died and was buried, Mount Nebo in Jordan is the location of the biblical land of Pisgah. A small church built on the spot by Christians as early as 393 A.D. expanded and by the 7th Century was a vast Byzantine complex through which pilgrims passed on their way from Jericho to Hammamat Ma’in where they would take a restorative bath in the natural hot springs.

Since 1933 the sanctuary of the monastery has been under continuous excavation and restoration by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Excavation has revealed beautiful mosaic floors depicting hunting and pastoral scenes displayed now on the walls of a modern building constructed to house the sanctuary of the basilica as well as a baptistry constructed in 597-598 A.D.

UMM QAIS

The final destination for the caravan was Umm Qais, the highest point in Jordan, which overlooks the intersection of Jordan, Syria and Israel—and allows a glimpse of Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and the Golan Heights. Called Gadara in Graeco-Roman times, the city is the sight of substantial historic ruins and is also famous for being known as the location of the biblical story of the Gadarene Swine.

On the way down the mountain, one relief worker said the harsh landscape is a reminder of the need to develop relationships, even brief ones, with Muslims in order to plant seeds of hope.

"There is a great need here for picking up the boulders and beginning to sow the soil and plant the seed," she said. "We need not to be in a hurry to see the harvest. That’s not why we are here."

Acknowledging that God works in many ways, another worker said it is good to remember that a presentation of the Gospel may be misunderstood, taken as an offense or rejected outright—but that the Holy Spirit is at work nonetheless. Sensitivity to the Muslim remains a key issue.

"It is our job to be available and be open," another worker said. "Be God with skin on here. Serve and don’t try to hurry things along. God is in control."

*Names are withheld for security reasons.

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