Captain Thin

One of the things that struck me most during my recent trip with the Canadian Church Press to the Holy Land was how visiting this area affirms for us the doctrine of the Incarnation. I discussed that topic—the Incarnation and the Holy Land—recently in an interview on Worldwide KFUO radio for their World Lutheran News Digest program. The interview appeared in two five-minute segments this past Monday and Tuesday.

The first part of the interview introduces how the trip came about, and notes some of the difficulties about trying to see everything in just one week. One definitely needs to take more time than a week to get the most out of the trip! I also begin in this part of the broadcast to discuss the positive impact visiting the Holy Land has on one’s faith, by reminding us the stories of our faith are not myths or mere philosophical musings—they actually happened in real places you can visit.

The second interview features some of my reflections on Peter’s great confession and Jesus’ subsequent promise that “the gates of Hell will not prevail” against the Church. In it, I reflect how Caesarea Philippi (the area in which the great confession is made) was actually a Pagan centre in Jesus’ day, a place devoted to the god Pan—facts which help us understand the significance of Jesus making that promise in that place. I also discuss the two proposed sites for Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem, focusing on the Gospel-focused ministry taking place at the Garden Tomb. (Listeners will also note I misspeak in this second interview when I refer to the “church of the Garden Tomb.” I should have said “site”; there is no church built in that area.)

Watch for my feature story on the Holy Land and Incarnation in the upcoming issue of The Canadian Lutheran. You can read more about the trip and my thoughts on the Holy Land in these earlier posts on CanadianLutheran.ca.

Lutherans among Canadian Church Press tour of Holy Land (a news-story)

Travels in the Holy Land (reflections made while still in Israel)

The tomb is empty (reflections made just after returning from Israel)

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