Pilgrimage of Sorts

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Quick aside: no, JJ, not the R.E.M. songs. It’s pretty much a given that I won’t make it to Israel in this life, despite it being the one country I want to visit more than any others. So, I’ll have to settle for “second best.” In this case, there’s a replica of the Wailing Wall, the only part of the second Temple that was left standing after the destruction in 70 AD/CE....of all places, in Macon, Georgia. There’s a Messianic synagogue in Macon with a huge worldwide outreach, which includes providing specialized wheelchairs and iPads for handicapped children, regardless of religion, in children’s hospitals in Israel. The Rabbi was raised in an Orthodox synagogue in the Bronx, then forgot his religion until he saw a vision while on his honeymoon in Israel. I’m not posting this to argue the pros and cons of the Messianic movement (which is extremely controversial, in both Christian AND Jewish circles!). I’m posting because they have a replica of the Wailing Wall, and while in Macon I stopped. Additionally, I won’t give you any “religious” insights. I can’t: there’s no way to describe how moved I was when I prayed there. It seemed like I was only there for a couple of seconds, but in actuality I spent over 30 minutes there. Being at peace with God is a wonderful thing, and I found a healthy dose of that today.