Holy water
Many years ago, on a Mediterranean cruise, one of our stops included a visit to Nazareth, in Israel.We also visited the site of the sermon on the mount and the Jordan river ……where it was thought Jesus was baptized.
There was an entrance area to purchase tickets and then proceed down some steps to reach the side of the river. This was thought to be a holy place.
How this particular place was chosen as the site for an event that possibly happened 2000 years ago is beyond my comprehension.
Of course ,there was a large souvenir store at the entrance as well. Small bottles of water from the river Jordan about 30 mls each, were for sale at some exorbitant price.
When you’re on a cruise ship and return from your days adventures you have to go through security at the boarding area. You were allowed to buy wine etc., but these were taken from you as you boarded ship. They were returned to you after the cruise was completed.
I suspect this was to encourage the sales of liquor at the bars and restaurants scattered throughout the ship ,I discovered this after our first stop in Italy.
At security, your travel bags were placed on a conveyor belt and passed through x-ray. If something questionable showed up your bag was searched. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to purchase foldable reusable plastic wine bags of 750 mils each. They were clear plastic collapsible and leakproof. Even filled with wine they easily passed through the x-ray machine. Now we could enjoy wines from the different countries we visited, at a much cheaper price than aboard ship.
As luck would have it, I happened to have two of these containers when we visited the baptism site. My wife kept lookout, as I wandered down the stream around the bend in the river and mostly out of sight of the other visitors.
Without hesitation I knelt down at the edge of the River Jordan, and quickly filled both containers with the “holy water”. I felt no guilt about doing this but my wife was not at all at happy. I planned to bring them back home and give them to our minister at Tecumseh United Church for use in future baptisms there. We had a wonderful lady minister who was absolutely thrilled with this gift.
I feel very doubtful about going to hell for this, because I certainly have done worse things in my lifetime.
As I suspected, my holy water easily made it through the boat security the two containers added to the weight of our suitcases, but both made it through the airport securities as well, for our voyage home.
The river Jordan was not “chilly and cold” nor did I see “milk and Honey on the other side”.
However, it was enlightening, very thought-provoking and most interesting experience. It also makes a good story!