Pilgrimage

Nothing quite as profound as the title might suggest.
Last weekend we went to Charlotte
to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit.

Almost the opposite of my visit to Qumran...
the exhibit was cool and dark, to avoid
exposing the scrolls to light
any more than necessary.
Qumran was desert...bright and sandy.
(Remind me to share memories some time
of floating in the Dead Sea...need to hook up
a scanner so I can show old photos.)

Fascinating on Sunday to see Biblical texts
1000 years older than any thing else that has been found.
We also saw fragments of the community's rule,
of apocryphal and pseudopigraphal writings
(stuff that didn't get put in the Bible,
for those of you needing less technical translation).

Texts from the years between the writings
of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
that referred to the "Son of God."
Helpful to see that such language
about a Messiah figure was floating around
in the religious culture of that time.

Even more fun was the IMAX movie about the Nile.
My favorite part was at the source of the Nile
in Ethiopia. They showed an Ethiopian
Christian church carved out of a solid piece
of rock, immense and incredible.
One of the wonders of the world.
They showed a religious ceremony,
people expressing their Christian faith
with dance and drum and bright clothing.

Not the Ethiopia we usually see on tv.
Vivid, lively people, expressing their faith with joy
and hospitality.

We ended our little pilgrimage
eating supper with a friend who lives in Charlotte.
Our annual tradition...to eat on Mother's Day
at an Indian restaurant.
For some reason, Indian food is not the first choice
of southern American families on Mother's Day.
No crowds or lines, but ooooh, delicious.

So...a visit to Israel, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and India.
Spanning over 2000 years.
All in a two hour car ride. Not bad.