Do Holy Places Still Matter?
I’ve always wanted to visit Israel, but I wonder – does walking where Jesus walked actually strengthen our faith, or should we be cautious about attaching too much spiritual meaning to physical places? How should believers think about “holy sites” or pilgrimages today?
Thanks for your question! It comes at a good time, because right now I’m in Israel. I’m not here as part of a pilgrimage or tour, something I have done many times before and hope to do more of in the future. I’m here – at our own expense, no one in Israel has paid for any of our travel or trip – I’m here with the men who make up our Enduring Word board, so we can visit the biblical sites and take a lot of video that will eventually make its way to YouTube and social media.
So, let me answer your question. I think there is a real sense in which coming to Israel and other countries that have Biblical sites (such as Turkey, Greece, and Jordan) can genuinely strengthen our faith. I say this understanding that this kind of travel is something of a luxury, and for many people it’s just not possible. But if it is possible, I think you should do it, and I think your Christian faith will be the better for it.
There’s something about reading about the Sea of Galilee and seeing the Sea of Galilee with your own eyes. It’s something to read about ancient Capernaum, and actually walking some of the streets of ancient Capernaum. It’s one thing to read about the gates of Jerusalem, and to actually see something of the gates of Jerusalem.
It doesn’t make it any more true, but it does make it somewhat more real in an experiential sense.
Pilgrims of many faiths have traveled to Israel for centuries. When you visit Israel, you will probably see people from all over the world, often traveling in groups coming to tour the land, see the sites, meet the people, and enjoy the foods. It’s a milestone in the life of most who come to Israel, so it is easy to see that Israel is a special place to many people.
Yet, we often don’t appreciate how special Israel is to God. The phrase “Holy Land” isn’t a slogan on a tour brochure or the creation of a marketing team. God Himself calls Israel His Holy Land.
And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.(Zechariah 2:12)
It’s absolutely true that God reigns over all the earth.
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14).
The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1)
Nevertheless, God’s great plan for humanity and all creation, had to be carried out somewhere. God could have chosen any continent or any place on earth to center His plan of the ages, but He chose the land we today call Israel. God didn’t choose a corner of Europe or a part of North America; He chose this place at the crossroads of Asia and Africa, near the cradle of civilization. Most everything that happens in the Bible happens in Israel.
At the same time, remember this part of the question: Should we be cautious about attaching too much spiritual meaning to physical places?
Therefore, yes! We should be cautious of this. Here’s the truth: God is not any nearer to you in Jerusalem or Israel than in any other place.
The first time I came to Israel – it must be about 30 years ago – like most every tour group, we visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, sometimes called “The Wailing Wall.” It sits in an area where there are many things to see, so many people visit it. The Western Wall is not the wall of the ancient temple that stood in the days of Jesus, but this is a section of the retaining wall for the large area upon which stood the second temple. It’s as close as most observant Jews will come to where the destroyed temple stood, so it is a place of prayer for them
Anyway, when we came there on my first visit to Israel, I went to that wall to pray, and I did it full of expectation and anticipation. I thought, “wow, this is really going to be a remarkable experience!” But as I stood at that wall and prayed, I had a strange sensation. I would almost call it a strong feeling of nothing. I didn’t feel any special feeling, experience, or encounter with the presence of God. It just wasn’t there, and it wasn’t there in a special way, if that makes any sense.
Then, I felt that God helped me to understand this. To put into words what I learned, it was as if God said this to me: “David, you aren’t any closer to Me here in Israel or Jerusalem than you are back home in California. You can draw near to me any time and at any place. I am not confined to this place.”
Now, that was a meaningful experience with God!