Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

Incredible. Profound. Amazing. Overwhelming. These are just a few of the words parishioner Kim Erickson uses to describe her ten-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land last September. So much happened in such a short time that she’s still taking it all in. “I haven’t quite even digested everything from the trip. I’m still finding out new things.”

Kim remembers the excitement she felt when the group of 34 pilgrims led by Fr. Chris finally arrived in Jerusalem. Having traced Jesus’ steps through Nazareth, Capernaum, Mt. Tabor, Magdala, Cana, and Bethlehem, their first view of the holy city came from the tour bus.   

Later that day, they found themselves at St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, the “cock’s crow” church that commemorates Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus. While exploring the area outside the church, Kim found an overlook with a panoramic view of the Kidron Valley. Gazing out, she could hardly believe she was really there.

Then she spotted the stairs—the first-century stone steps that Jesus would have descended after the Last Supper on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Kim recognized them from pictures she’d seen in Bible study and longed for a chance to walk on them. It wouldn’t be easy to get there with so many areas blocked off for excavation, but she set out, determined to weave her way around the barriers. “I just wanted to get there so badly.”

At last she reached the top of the stairs, pausing to record the moment by taking a picture of her feet. Then, slowly, she began to make her way down, taking time to walk back and forth on each step, completely immersed in the experience. “I couldn’t hear anything. It was like silence overcame me.” Tears flowed as she thought about what had happened there and how Jesus must have felt. “I literally was walking down the stairs saying, ‘I am so sorry that we did this to you.’"

One year later, the emotion Kim felt on those steps hasn’t worn off. She says her trip to the Holy Land deepened her faith, making her more humble and more peaceful. Reading Scripture in the place where it actually happened brought everything much closer, taking her passion for Bible study to a new level. “Sitting in the pews on Sunday now, the readings come to life.”

Looking back on her trip and the opportunities it gave her to walk where Jesus walked, Kim has one simple recommendation—and it doesn’t require airfare: “Join a Bible study, whether it’s online or in person, and it will change your life.” And then, if you can, make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and see it all for yourself.