"A Good Land"

 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

May they prosper who love you."

Psalm 122:6a

The Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

Photo credit: int.icej.org

Whenever I would travel to Israel for pilgrimage

family and friends would voice their concerns...

A GOOD LAND

“For the Lord your God is bringing

you into a good land.” Deuteronomy 8:7-9

 

Israel Pilgrimage—2006

 

My children, siblings

and friends are quick to say:

 

What’s so good about it?

 

Suicide bombers

blow themselves up

in the marketplace

and take as many with them

as possible

 

Palestinians and Israelis

throw rocks at one another

 

Bombs fly from Lebanon

 

Enemies surround

and yearn to shove Israel

into the Mediterranean Sea

 

Who needs the Middle East?

 

And yet

this is the land

where the virgin gave birth to Yeshua/Jesus

where Lazarus emerged

alive! from the tomb

where Peter walked on water

and lepers were healed

where my Savior

was crucified, rose

and promises to return

 

where the roots

of the olive tree

that I’m grafted into

reach down deep

into good soil

 

It’s a good land—

nourishing me with milk

of the living Word

and sweet honey hope

that thrives

in the center of my being

 

It is the jewel of the whole earth...

How can I not love it?

 

Maude Carolan Pych

Please join me in praying for God's will to be done

in the Middle East...

Would you like to read more poems?

Here's a copy of my book, "Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

on the shelf at Barnes & Noble, Woodland Park, NJ.

It is also available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.