I went to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC this past weekend with my husband for the first time in my life…and they really were as breathtaking as I had imagined they would be and then some. The first really warm, sunny day we’ve had here in this area, it was a wonderful, romantic way to enjoy spring. But a few other things besides the great company, warm weather and beautiful blossoms on the trip gave me pause, stirred up emotions in me and took my breath away…and I realized after the day was done that it had really been a sort of spiritual pilgrimage.
For those of you who haven’t seen them, most of the cherry blossom trees, given to us in 1912 by Japan, are located around the Washington Monument and nearby Tidal Basin. As you walk around the basin you encounter the Jefferson Memorial. Since I have never made the walk before, I had never entered the Jefferson Memorial, a shrine to our founding father and author of the Declaration of Independence, President Thomas Jefferson. Around the large statue of Jefferson are several quotes from him etched in the marble walls of the rotunda. As I circled and read each, I felt a profound sense of gratitude that I live in a country where the founders felt that God was an integral part of the start of our nation.
I was surprised as tears blurred my vision. And as I wiped them away I also felt a bit of anger arise in me that so many citizens today don’t seem to appreciate God’s hand in the making of our country…and actually want to take Him out of our schools and institutions today by removing forms of worship such as scriptures, pledges and prayers.
But remembering where IÂ was standing, and the turmoil in Syria and the Middle East that was happening as I stood there, I felt immensely grateful again to be living in a free country where we can profess our faith without persecution, and I said a prayer for all of those who aren’t as fortunate and must fight or flee as a result.
Then we decided to visit the new Museum of the Bible. We fit in as much as we possibly could before we had to get a train home (we really could have spent all day there and still couldn’t have seen it all) but what we did see also took my breath away. Here were actual fragments of the original texts from the Gospels…as well as excavated remains from the place and time where David defeated Goliath (on loan for a time from Jerusalem) that proved the Bible story wasn’t just a made up story but that it actually happened. Because I write modern day novels based on Bible stories including this one which is part of the narrative in my book, The Peace Maker, I was captivated by all of the displays of scrolls and texts and artifacts and was reminded of how important and relevant the Bible – God’s Word – remains to us all today.
I feel truly thankful to all of the prophets and storytellers, scribes and archaeologists and yes, even politicians, who came before me to make it possible for me to love God and to love my country. David sums it all up for me in this Psalm: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” (Psalm 33:12) God bless all of you and God Bless America.
