Visiting the Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ
What a surreal experience.
I was raised in a Christian household, so I’ve believed in the Lord for my entire life. Although my relationship with Jesus has had bumps in the road - periods of my life where I felt disconnected, I’ve never wavered from my faith.
In the past couple years, as I moved out of my childhood home to a brand new state for college, my connection to Jesus has grown into something special. Now, as I travel the world, I can see his goodness within all his creations. It’s incredible how much my eyes have been opened.
I’ll be honest - I’m not that person whose read the entire bible or is able to attend church every week. But I’ve learned to listen only to God, and to separate the world’s definition of “being a Christian” to God’s version of being a Christian. He’s been by my side as I’ve struggled with mental health, change, and worldly challenges, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am without him.
Being able to see the baptismal site washed me with immense feelings of awe and gratitude. This is where it all started, I thought. Not only for Jesus, but for so many others. As we gazed across the Jordan River at Israel, tons of people gathered on the other side to be baptized. The energy of being on this sacred ground was unmatched to anything I’d ever felt before. Witnessing the smiles and cries of joy from newly-baptized followers was beautiful. For a moment, I touched the cool water of the Jordan River, and I was in a state of disbelief as I stood by the river featured in so many biblical texts.
I hope these visuals can give you a glimpse of what an unbelievable experience it was being able to visit here, and a glimpse of the incredible story etched into this land.
