Some pictures for John the Baptist on his birthday!
Enlarge the photo above and see John baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan.
The gift shop at Kasr il Yahud, near Jericho, is full of souvenirs for pilgrims.
Sometimes I wonder how John would react if he could see the modern version of his desert baptismal site, complete with tourist buses, Israeli army patrols,
refrigerated trucks bringing ice cream to the kiosk,
and groups of young North Americans being dunked by their pastor,
while being photographed and filmed,
to the accompaniment of guitars and songs.
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What do you think?
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(More blog pictures of Kasr al Yahud here.)
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Well . . . maybe I'd better keep what I think to myself! But I will say it's quite possible he would not recognize any of this as what he had in mind 2000 years ago.
ReplyDeleteHe would say: Aaargh!
ReplyDeleteI do not know what he'd say, but it looked a lot like my baptism last 2 pictures. In the sea (not in Israel) and guitar/vocals. Very nice post Dina:-)
ReplyDeleteNot sure I should say what I really think. 'Dislike'
ReplyDeleteHe'd find that peculiar, to say the least. It seems only evangelicals would go and do that.
ReplyDeleteThere were no video cameras or music or singers when I was dunked in the Jordan River in July 2008. It may be silly to some but it was a life changing experience for me. However, I don't have a tee shirt to prove it. Yes, I would have bought one being the evangelical that I am.
ReplyDeletei don't understand
ReplyDeleteit's too far from my thoughts
Gosh, you guys surprise me with your comments.
ReplyDeleteI myself could imagine John appreciating some of those modern amenities if they had existed in his time. Like a cool drink of clean water and some shade for himself, after a long hard day of baptizing.
This is a place in the middle of the desert!
I think John would be amazed at our modern world. The buses and army vehicles would probably not mean too much to him, just a strange way to travel. He wandered in the desert and ate locusts, so I am guessing the food would surprise him more. But these people in the water...I bet he would look at them and think one thing, "They love Jesus. They have come all this way to be baptised here because they love Him. And they have never seen Him." I think it would amaze him.
ReplyDelete