Invest for the Long Term!

Whenever I tell people that I'm taking a group of students to Israel there is always someone in the group who shrugs his shoulders indifferently. I know that look: I can spot it a mile away. The look usually means that this person doesn't think a trip to Israel is worth the cost. If you're one of those people all I can say is don't knock it until you've tried it. A trip to Israel is NOT about getting good feelings because you walked where Jesus walked, ran where David ran, or sat where Saul sat. A trip to Israel is about understanding your Bible better. The pages of scripture come alive when you interpret them against the backdrop of the land. You have to see it to understand it.

Now to the question: Is it worth the money? The answer is maybe. It's not worth skipping out on your rent, or failing to buy food for your kids, or neglecting the church. But it is worth dropping your cable subscription for a few years, or resisting the urge to buy that new flat panel TV, or not upgrading your computer. Take the money from those and a hundred other less worthy pursuits and spend it on a trip to Israel. Those things are about as valuable as a Goldman Sachs-issued credit default swap, but a trip to Israel, with the result that you understand your Bible, is a long term investment. If a trip to the Holy Land were a stock, my recommendation would be buy, buy, buy!

Steve

PS. If for some reason you can't go to Israel but have decided to not buy that flat panel TV anyway, consider using the money to sponsor a student to go in your place. DV we'll be headed back in 2012!