We travelled around Israel visiting many places.  We marveled at the sights; the churches and memorials that marked special places where miracles occurred.  I expected to meet Jesus in new ways everywhere.  But I did not – not this time.  Perhaps I was too busy absorbing sights and sounds and taking photos to be aware of Him in any special way.  He was there, yes, as He is always here.  But not in heart-warming, tear-forming, life-changing ways.  Until one day, towards the end of that particular journey, He came to me – in a place such as this.

In a place such as this …

In a place such as this Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount … fed the 5000 … was crucified, died and was buried.  In a place such as this He was laid in a tomb, the stone was rolled away … He cooked breakfast on the lakeshore … He ascended into heaven

The open-mindedness of our guide gave us the freedom to use our imagination.  We saw Jesus lying in a manger at the back of a cave on the edge of Bethlehem, the ceiling blackened by the fires of shepherds and herders, the air redolent with the breath of donkey and cattle, the straw-filled manger a prickly bed for the infant Son of God.

In a place such as this – where images of bread and fish were carved on a rock by early Christians, we could see by the lie of the land, Jesus speaking to the crowds who had followed Him and now needed food.  Suddenly the wonder of the disciples and those present became real as we saw again the miracle of so many being fed with so little.

In a place such as this we stood in awe outside an empty tomb.  We had seen others, also empty, on our journey, and so this was not, perhaps the miracle it should have been to us.  Those others had been rifled and ravaged by time, by people, by sand and by earthquake.  But this tomb – a tomb ‘such as this’ was empty for a different reason.  For this was a tomb where they may have laid the Christ.  I felt no spiritual connection here, but there was peace in my soul, for I know that in this area, this part of the city of Jerusalem, they had laid my Lord in a place ‘such as this’, and that that tomb, whichever one it may be, is empty because death could not hold Him.  He is alive, my Saviour, and the tomb is empty.

I did not meet Him in ‘a place such as this’ but in the garden outside, in the gentle beauty of created greenness I met Him walking the paths through flowers and shrubs that spoke of life.  And as Mary met and knew her Lord, so I knew mine as He met me in a place such as this – full of life and beauty, peace and quiet and deep running joy – here I met Him again in my heart – My risen Lord – Jesus – my Saviour.  And I knew that I would meet Him again in a place such as this – and this – and this – wherever I may be, so He will be – always.