Loved it!
This anointed double DVD set was beautifully delivered. The scenes magnificent as well as the sounds crisp and clear. I forgot I was watching from my couch. I felt as if I were taking this very special Christmas Journey along with the 5 Modern Wise Men!
The cast of characters:
Rory - Jewish and Christian Roots but has better understanding of what love is with family than God.
Nazreth - Protestant and Catholic upbringing but searching and looking for inspiration to reignite her artistic endeavors.
Drew - Adopted and in a crisis of faith. He is searching to have a personal encounter with God.
Kim - She has found faith but still has doubts and wants to prove that the Gospel is not just a "White man's Gospel."
Dusty - A born again lover of Jesus Christ just excited to walk where Jesus walked.
Where do I begin to explain this wonderful presentation? There were so many interesting facts given about when Jesus was born, how he lived, who he interacted with, and just the Middle East in general.
The other aspect of this "reality experience" was the interaction and shared experience of the five strangers that became friends. Their guide Nazir Shaheen (bless his heart!) has such an obvious love for the land and he is gentle and sincere in his wanting Drew especially to understand the Truth of the Bible and how so much of what they experienced matters.
My favorite part of Journey to Christmas was in the Church at Shepherd's Field when Dusty sang. Oh my! Tears flowed. I found myself watching Dusty throughout the experience. Drew also was drawn to her and even admitted he was a bit jealous to see Dusty's obvious love of Jesus. Dusty exuded an almost flower-child aura which really appealed to me. I also saw that same quality in Nazreth.
Nazreth was quite but respectful and her summary after being home awhile really touched my heart. I appreciated hearing how each of the five sojourners felt about their time in Israel after they had been home awhile. I was sad I admit that a few of them hadn't come closer to a personal relationship with God, but like Dusty said, You never know what lessons will be learned later in life after experiencing what the group experienced (my quote).
I wanted to scream when the group was hanging out talking about The Wailing Wall. I cheered for Drew and sighed as Rory didn't see the deeper meaning to what was happening at the wall. Nazreth got it and she came away from that wall with a new respect for people and the faith of those who mourned and prayed at that wall. I truly hope the religious aspects of the trip were explained in context with Old Testament and New Testament. Sadly, many in Israel are religious but not in relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray all four (Dusty got it) understand life is not about religion, but relationship. Religion was present and I pray all the pieces came together and that the group will one day understand why Jesus died for them (especially Drew. He pulled at my heart strings!!)
Golgotha was hard to see and I cried along with Dusty. There were so many joys and emotional scenes. I plan to watch this DVD again and again and to share it with as many as possible. This 4-session Holy Land Study experience should be part of a youth group, Advent, small groups and in so many more venues. It was a precious film and a wonderful example of the fact that the Bible is true and that our faith is a gift.
Praise God Bible experts were included: Hugh Ross, Paul Maier, Craig Evans, Claire Pfann and Stephen Pfann. This was truly a special experience for me and I am so grateful to Tyndale for this amazing opportunity to review such an amazing product!
You can learn more about this film by visiting www.journeytochristmas.com
