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| Baptism, Jordan River |
AT
THE JORDAN RIVER
Israel Pilgrimage—1987
The
pilgrims line up
at
the popular baptismal site
on
the banks of the Jordan
donned
in flowing white robes
rented from a vendor
on
the way in
One
by one our rabbi
listens
to words of testimony
and
dips each believer backwards
as
their brothers and sisters
sing
softly on the shore
After
they emerge
washed
clean in that murky old river
they
shed their rented robes
and
are funneled through
a
narrow aisle
where
souvenir bottles
of
Jordan River water
where
olive wood sheep
and
olive wood shepherds
tee
shirts and postcards
and
holy this and blessed that
are
offered—
for
a price
Our
driver hurries us along
beckons
us to the bus
The
motor’s running
Quick! Or you’ll miss
the camel ride
through the
wilderness tonight!
And
despite renting and hawking
despite
murky water
and
tight tour agendas, we know
the
sincere emersion
of
each contrite sinner
has
filled the heavens
with
hallelujahs
this
glorious day
Maude Carolan
Pych
The pilgrims from my congregation, Beth Israel Worship Center, Wayne, NJ, continue their Holy Land pilgrimage with our pastor/rabbi, Jonathan Cahn.
The above poem is from a pilgrimage I took in 1987. It is included in my chapbook, A Pilgrim's Quest--A Poet Visits the Holy Land. For ordering information, scroll to the end of this website.
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