While we cannot physically travel to the Holy Land right now, this is a good time to focus on what we can do. We can pray for the region, and we can continue to learn and grow in preparation for the next time we are able to make a pilgrimage. Neither of these pursuits will be fruitless while we wait, whether our time of waiting be short or long. At Faith Connections Travel, we plan to do both, and we invite you to join us.
Many of you who have studied or traveled with me, or who have followed me here, know of my respect and enthusiasm for the work of Dr. Jack Beck. You’ll find several of his works on our Recommended Resources page. You might also notice that he publishes under the name of John A. Beck (which will help when doing searches). I was very blessed to help lead a trip in 2018 on which he was our tour guide. I can testify firsthand that both in print and on the fly, his command of historical geography (among other areas) is encyclopedic.
I think that this time of waiting is an excellent time to reconnect with why the study of biblical geography and the opportunity to walk the lands of the Bible are so significant to our growth as Bible readers in the first place. Jack Beck brings this to life as helpfully as anyone I have encountered in my work in scholarly, church, and travel circles. In particular here, I’d like to highlight one of his Bible study books as a place for us to engage with these topics and to keep growing both as individuals and as groups who read and study the Bible together.
Along the Road: How Jesus Used Geography to Tell God’s Story teaches us to organize our thinking about the contents of the Bible geographically, “experiencing God’s story as Jesus told it while walking along the road.” He encourages us to organize our Bible “like a walker.” This is an excellent part of preparing for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or simply a way to begin orienting oneself to how an awareness of the land can enrich Bible reading and understanding. The Bible is a book of place, and Dr. Beck argues convincingly for adding this perspective to our own relationship with scripture.
Along the Road has nineteen short chapters plus an introduction, and it’s divided into five parts. Each part focuses on a type of lesson that Jesus taught by walking with Jesus to places he visited. At the end of each part, there is a brief section of reflection and questions for discussion. He also has a video study (filmed on location) that can be used with the book, and there is a video study guide at the end of the book. It’s good for personal and group use, so gather some friends and share the journey. You can find details on these and all his resources on his website.
I’m not receiving anything for highlighting this study. I simply want to encourage us all to keep walking the Holy Land. Our passion to make faith connections between the Bible, the land, the Lord, and one another is as strong as ever. Stay tuned to the blog because we’ll continue to learn, grow, and go deeper in our faith together until we next walk the land side by side.
