Israel souvenirs are cherished around the world and make great gifts for friends and family. Most people who travel to Israel want to remember their visit for years to come, so they look for gifts that reflect its unique cultural and religious identity. Whether you're looking for gifts in Jerusalem, from particular significant sites, or are searching for something on your friend's gift registry, you're sure to find plenty of stunning souvenirs.

Israeli souvenirs are no longer limited to products from the Dead Sea and other recognizable landmarks and sites. You can still get those of course, but today souvenirs from Israel range from tasty treats, olive oil, and handmade crafts, to wood decorations, toys, and jewelry from all areas of the country.

In this list, you'll find both traditional and unique souvenirs from Israel for your shopping cart. Knowing what to buy in Israel will save time and money and let you explore your options before your trip. With so many authentic souvenirs to choose from, deciding what to buy from Israel is easier when you know what to look for. 

Israeli merchants sell a wide variety of high-quality gifts and souvenirs that tourists can purchase, including gifts from Jerusalem. Since Israel is home to many different religions, cultures, and people, tourists often stumble upon products they can't find anywhere else.

These souvenirs combine tradition, skill, and modernity that you can display, that have a practical use, or that you can eat. Some products famous in Israel include olive oil, olive wood carvings, jewelry, and cosmetics made from Dead Sea products.

Ben Yehuda Street is a popular tourist area located in downtown Jerusalem. It's usually packed with visitors in its cafes, and you'll find no shortage of souvenirs there. Some items found on Ben Yehuda Street include goblet drums, intricately carved chessboards inlaid with pearl, copper lanterns hanging among miniature Israeli flags, and plush toy camels (great for the kids).

Visitors can also buy spices like zaatar and sumac, fragrant frankincense and myrrh, and sweet treats like halva and bisli. Souvenir shops in Tel Aviv cater to all types of customers, especially since they host up to 3.5 million tourists every year.

A vibrant metropolitan city, visitors can expect to find an extensive selection of jewelry, and other trinkets. Medjool dates, sesame seeds, clothes, wares, and oils also make fantastic edible and wearable Israel souvenirs. The variety and bustling activity set Tel Aviv apart from other cities, and the many gift options available make buying a souvenir in Israel a unique and enjoyable experience.

The jewelry and diamond industry in Israel is booming, and visitors have several options ranging from inexpensive keepsakes to valuable and rare gems. You can find elaborate, original pieces crafted by master jewelers so unique you won't see them on any gift registry.

Options include rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and precious stones with modern and traditional designs to suit anyone's taste. Popular materials include gold, diamond, and silver, and you have customized options such as inscribing names in Hebrew or English on necklaces. If you're looking for a special kind of souvenir, you'll find it here.

The Holy Land is the area situated between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean sea. It has a complex and rich history that holds deep meaning to millions of people around the world. Several religious souvenirs tie into Israel's unique society and culture.

Souvenirs from Israel differ based on the region and, in some cases, from one street to the next. For example, the Old City in Jerusalem is best-known for selling religious memorabilia. There, tourists can find ornate candelabras, detailed miniature sea scroll replicas, wooden or bronze crosses, rosaries, and other religious figurines.

Some products sold in shops come from sacred areas in Israel, and they make thoughtful, symbolic presents. For example, religious pilgrims can buy Jordan River water souvenirs, anointment oil, menorahs, prayer rugs, crosses, theological books, and other religious items from the Holy Land.

Jerusalem souvenirs are usually well-received and have a spiritual element attached to them. Furthermore, presents from Jerusalem are especially cherished due to their social and religious significance.

Many places have now recognized the international demand for their wares. Through the internet, they can now sell to international clients by having gift registry options you can ship throughout the world.

Souvenirs from Israel are made to last. Israel souvenirs are not necessarily cheaper than they would be elsewhere, but they are often of the best quality and made with skill.

Food items can be inexpensive but vary even if they look the same. Spices, for example, can be cheap or costly, depending on their quality. Woodwork is priced based on size and type. The cost of a large wood carving will differ from one the size of your hand.

With plentiful ceramics, you'll have no trouble distinguishing exceptional quality (like Armenian ceramics) from those of lower craftsmanship. However, jewelry and other precious metals are not cheap. 

Due to the variety of choices, Israeli markets have wares suitable for all budgets. There are cost-effective souvenirs from Israel that come in the form of gift packs or limited quantities of popular items. Other souvenirs are more intricate and can be more costly due to the detail, skill, and materials needed to make them. Buying a well-crafted Israeli souvenir means having a lifetime keepsake that stands the test of time. 

Israel is known for its historical religious significance, diverse cuisine, and its wealth of attractions. Its food has become popular across the world due to the varied cultural influences that have influenced and shaped its truly unique flavor and charm.

Israel also has a vibrant nightlife and a wealth of cafes, restaurants, and shops that stay open well past midnight. Individual and packaged chocolate souvenirs from Israel are sold in every shop and city.

Enjoy any perishable Israeli food in the city, so you don't miss out on the fresh flavors and delicious seasonings. You can find fresh produce in stalls and markets, and popular dishes such as Baba Ghanouj, hummus, Bamba, and shawarma to satisfy you on your travels.

Healing and beauty products from the Dead Sea are highly sought-after by visitors and residents alike. Famous for their rich mineral content and healing properties, they are sold in different forms like creams and scrubs. You can find them in gift packs conveniently bundled for travel.

Dead Sea salt and mud are popular Israel souvenirs both for Israelis and international tourists. Food items are popular as well, both perishable and otherwise. While you can't purchase hummus as a souvenir because it spoils quickly, other items like honey, oils, spices, and dates are long-lasting.

You can find religious items in places pilgrims frequent. Since these items are tied to the Holy Land, they become valuable possessions and heirlooms that you can pass down through generations. Souvenirs and memorabilia from each one of Jerusalem's ancient quarters act as an homage to this diverse land.

Since they combine authenticity, heritage, and culture, souvenirs from Israel are sure to be crowd-pleasers and make valuable gifts for others. Whether you're searching for items from a gift registry or for your own home, you'll find plenty of souvenirs from Israel to bring back home for everyone in your life—including you.

 

In the Israel Museum in Jerusalem there is a special wing. An entirely separate building that is part of the museum but exists on its own for a very special purpose. A single white dome contrasted by a black, basalt wall behind it, the building looks like something out of a dream. This is the Shrine of the Book, and it is a library that contains some of the most important religious texts in the world – including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

While the exterior of the Shrine may seem odd, there is a deeper meaning behind it. The domed design, marked with striations is reminiscent of the clay jars the scrolls were found in. The pure white of the dome starkly framed by the pitch-black wall behind it was specifically done to evoke a passage from a specific scroll that references the "Sons of Light” and "Sons of Darkness,” represented by the contrast. Inside, the Shrine is much larger than you may expect, descending into the earth and revealing a wealth of treasures collected inside.

Racks of glass displays house several priceless texts. In its displays you can see a collection of historical Bibles in different translations and from different corners of the world, as well as the Aleppo Codex — the oldest, most complete, most accurate text of the Hebrew Bible, but it is the Dead Sea Scrolls that steal the show. Displayed in glass on a central column designed to resemble the handle of a scroll, various fragments (including the famous Isaiah Scroll, the most complete and undamaged of the scrolls) can be viewed. Due to the incredible fragility and importance of these texts, the scroll fragments are carefully cycled in and out of display on three to six-month rotation periods.

 

 

Hidden for almost 2000 years before being discovered by a Bedouin shepherd named Muhammed edh-Dhib in a cave, the scrolls are the oldest surviving copy of writings from the Bible. They are perhaps the greatest historical discovery of the modern age. Not only are they an incredible piece of history on their own, as any document that has survived for almost two millennia would be, they are also of unfathomable cultural and spiritual worth. The texts directly link to the days of the first Church and provided accurate and historically verifiable tradition of Biblical texts. Before the Dead Sea discovery, a Masorectic text written in Hebrew from the 10th century was the oldest Biblical text thought to exist. The Dead Sea Scrolls predate that text by a millennium, providing a much stronger tie to the foundations of the church and verifying that the text and spirit of the books we can compare to the Dead Sea Scrolls have remained consistent through the years and various translations.

While obviously the books of the Bible found in the scrolls are the most important texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls also contain several non-religious texts. These sectarian documents cover a wide range of topics, from what can be considered judicial documents to songs and practical manuals. These texts offer incredible insight into the culture and lives of the ancient Jewish people. It is a historical resource that scholars still depend on today to contextualize and understand this history of one of the most important nations on Earth.

While on display, physical access to the documents is strictly controlled. It is a miracle the Dead Sea Scrolls still exist today and the stress of time weighs heavily on the documents, so all steps must be taken to preserve them. Only four specially selected experts are allowed to handle the extremely delicate parchment and do so only under the most scrutinous safety precautions. For anyone else, even touching the glass case housing the various samples of the Scrolls is forbidden. 

The Shrine itself is specially temperature controlled with humidity levels carefully monitored. Even the lighting of the Shrine is designed to place as little wear and tear on the documents as possible. It should go without saying, but if you ever visit the Shrine, remember that flash photography is expressly forbidden.

Even with all these precautions, the Scrolls are still incredibly vulnerable, which is why they have also been painstakingly preserved digitally. The Israel Antiquities Authority along with the Leon Levy Foundation, the Arcadia Fund, and Google poured hundreds of hours into developing new scanning and digitization technology to ensure that the Scrolls could be accurately, and safely, scanned and displayed virtually. The results of the project speak for themselves, with an expansive digital library of the Scrolls available online for all to browse.

Still, there is no substitute for the real thing. If you find yourself in Jerusalem, you owe it to yourself to visit the Shrine of the Book and view these magnificent, ancient connections to the past and the Christian faith, up close and personally.  

Modern life can be harrowing. As millennials age into an uncertain economy, a "gig” based job market that promises no stability or long-term prospects, and are met with grim news every evening, many are feeling the strain. In a world that feels like it’s falling apart a little more every day, what can we hold on to?

The answer has to be God.

There are no easy solutions for the problems facing us today, but we can always depend on God as a guidepost. By focusing on Him and listening close for His plan for us, we can still find peace and fulfillment in a world where those qualities are increasingly scarce. Keep the following tips in mind for living your best life, one that is both directly and spiritually fulfilling. 

What should your priorities be? As Christians, we know that our first and primary responsibility is to God, after that our families, but what about after that? What should you be doing with your life? This is where it is important to be receptive to what your heart is telling you and allow God to guide you towards your calling.

All of us will feel a different call. Some may be called to ministry. Others may feel as though they should be doing more in their community. There are many of us who feel like we should be doing something else with our lives, that our jobs are not creating anything of spiritual worth (or in some cases might be contributing to harm in our community and society). And still, there are those who may honestly feel like they are already doing exactly what God wants for them, that’s perfectly valid as well. But if the reality of who you are isn’t matching up with the image of who you should be, it’s time for a change. We are only given one life to lead in service to our Lord, make sure you are spending it wisely. 

When you do hear your calling, be ready to pursue it passionately. Life is hard, we all have bills to pay and mouths to feed, and it can be incredibly difficult to make changes or pursue a new path when you come home exhausted and beat. But if you really feel God calling you to make a change in your life, you can’t ignore it, it’s something that must be done. Remember that has hard as this feels now, you will feel so much happier and more fulfilled when you are doing what God has called on you to do.

Sometimes when people feel they have no direction in life, it has more to do with being pulled in several different directions at once. One of the dangers of modern living is that there is just so much to see and do and take part in. Too much for anyone really. Technology like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Netflix mean we’re connected every single second to ongoing conversations with our friends, the never-ending onslaught of news and opinion, and more content than you could hope to watch in several lifetimes. We spend so much time treading water just keeping up with these (and other) distractions that it shouldn’t be a surprise we don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere spiritually or emotionally.

Cutting down on the noise in your life will help you hear what you’re supposed to do more clearly. This doesn’t mean you need to go cold turkey on technology and live like a monk, but it does mean you might need to set limits in your life. Simple rules like "No Facebook/Twitter after 6:00pm” can do wonders - so can making peace with not seeing every major series or movie that drops in a season. Getting over your fear of missing out or not being able to contribute to water cooler chat will free you up to pursue more meaningful things in your life.

One of the best things you can do for your life in general and your spiritual life in particular is to surround yourself with people who understand and support you. Cut out the distractions and bring in the people who truly matter. Take the time to focus on your family, grow and strengthen those bonds. Connect with your friends who want the best for you and take genuine interest in what you care about.  Find fellow travelers who also love the Lord and share your values in the field or area you want to be in. Make friends with people who are smarter than you, more experienced than you, who have been through more. Learn from them and be challenged by them, grow with them.

If your life is feeling empty or if you feel you’re not on the path God wants for you, don’t ignore it. The most tragic thing you could do would be to continue down a road that leaves you numb and disconnected from God’s plan for you. Live up to your priorities, listen for God’s calling, and when you hear it, pour your faith and energy into it.  When you feel like you’re doing what is right, both your worldly and spiritual life will bloom.

 

One of the most glorious places on Earth, the Mount of Olives is a special site in a land known for landmarks and history. It is a direct connection to the life of Jesus and his ascension into Heaven. As a Christian, it is one of the most impactful and spirituality engrossing locations on the planet.

Also known as Mount Olivet, the Mount of Olives does not refer to one specific location, but a larger mountain range with three separate peaks. The ridge runs approximately 3.5 kilometers across, which makes sense for the number of times it is referenced in the bible as a key route from Jerusalem to Bethany. According to the Bible, Jesus wept for Jerusalem from one of these peaks and indeed even today the mountain offers a suburb view over the ancient city. The mount runs down into the Kidron Valley where the Dome of the Rock is located, overlooking a massive area of land.

Dotted across the ridge are a variety of incredible holy sites and places of worship. Over half a dozen churches, many of which celebrate specific periods of Jesus’ life, can be found spread across the Mount, but that is only a start. 

The Mount of Olives is also home to the Garden of Gethsemane, a site Jesus and his disciples visited many times and where Jesus was betrayed by Judas. This is where Jesus prayed to his Father in distress before being taken away for crucifixion. It cannot be overstated how important this site is to the Christian faith and how remarkable it is that we can still stand here millennia later and feel a connection to Christ on Earth. 

While there, you can also see The Church of All Nations. This Catholic church enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest and contains olive trees that date back to the time of Jesus. It’s an incredible piece of history still with us today. 

Also along the foothills of the Mount is the Tomb of Zechariah. This austere tomb is carved out of solid rock. This monument (there is no actual burial chamber to speak of) commemorates the priest Zechariah referenced in Chronicles in the Old Testament – 

And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord – Chronicles 24:20-21

And of course, there is the Church of Mary Magdalene, a Russian orthodox church of astounding beauty. The majesty of its golden domes is a sight to behold. It is also an active church, with more than 30 nuns living and practicing in it today.

 

 

This is all without even mentioning the Mount’s importance as a sacred burial place. The Mount has functioned as a Jewish cemetery for more than 3000 years. Thousands of graves dot different areas of the Mount, including many historical Jewish kings, priests, and prophets. While modern conflicts have disturbed the graves before, there are still new burials on the Mount today. To avoid the mistakes and losses of the past, Israel has embarked in a process of digital preservation, documenting and recording the graves spread throughout the mountain so that every name and site will be remembered. 

This incredible area of history is open and free to all. There are no passes needed, no fees to pay, though a guided tour may be a good idea if you’re looking to get the most out of your time on the Mountain. If you’re already in Jerusalem it is so close you would be doing yourself a disservice not to go and see and experience this special place yourself!

The Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most striking and effective parables. It’s a story you can tell a child and it will be instantly understood. It works because it is so simple, so direct. It’s a story you can sum up in a few sentences and still be struck by the moral clarity of it.

One day while traveling the road to Jerusalem, a man is assaulted and robbed. His money is stolen and he’s left beaten and near death, unable to move or help himself. Along comes another man, a priest. He sees the man lying in the road and quickly decides he doesn’t want to get involved, so he passes by on the other side of the road. Soon a Levite stumbles on the man and makes the same decision. Then, at last, a Samaritan (a person who would have been abhorred and hated by the dominant powers of the time) finds him. He is moved with compassion for the beaten man. He stops what he is doing, cleans and dresses the man’s wounds, puts him on his animal, and goes out of his way and spends his own money to take the man to an inn where he can heal. 

The lesson here isn’t difficult to discern. Of the three passers-by to stumble across the wounded man, who treated him like a neighbour? Which one of these men acted in accordance to God’s will for us and which of them abandoned their responsibility and turned their back on God in the process? Is a person’s worth or moral standing determined by their titles and positions, or by what they will do when nobody else is watching? Again, even a child knows these answers, the Samaritan is the good guy here. 

So why is it so hard for us to live up to this expectation?

How many of us have passed by someone who was in need? Not just someone lying beaten and robbed, or homeless and panhandling. How many of us have known of someone who was hurting, who we have seen is having real trouble with something and our response has been to not get involved? I’d reckon all of us have at one time or another. For most of us, we’ve probably done it more times than we care to admit.

It’s not always because we don’t care, or don’t want to help. There are an endless number of justifications and rationales, some better than others, we use to excuse us from this fundamental responsibility. Sometimes we feel it’s not our place, that "there are institutions or programs for that.” Sometimes we’re hurting ourselves and don’t feel like we can spare the time or effort to help someone else. Sometimes we don’t feel like we’re even capable of doing anything, especially when problems seem large and unassailable. 

But we have to. As Christians, we have to be the ones who stop. We don’t get the luxury of ignoring the suffering of our fellow man. We can’t just pass-by on the other side of the road. We have to stop and do what we can to mend, help, and protect those in need. 

Consider the Samaritan himself. In the original context of the parable, Samaritans were considered an underclass, an unwanted people who often found themselves on the receiving end of prejudicial treatment. Most Samaritans at the time didn’t have enough to pay for their own needs, let alone extra money to go put a stranger up in an inn. 

They were often targets for robbery themselves, or even worse, the potential scapegoat for a robbery. How easy would it have been for the authorities of the time to see a Samaritan carrying a beaten and bloody Israelite on his animal and assume the worst? Helping the man lying in the road was not some trivial matter of basic decency for the Samaritan, it was a sacrifice. He had to go out of his way from his journey, give up his own comfort and safety, and spend his own money that he may or may not have been able to afford.

And for what? To help a stranger who, if the shoe was on the other foot, probably wouldn’t have helped him? A stranger who helping was unlikely to earn him any distinction in his own community (why waste time saving someone that probably hates your people) and may even be risky to help. There was no personal benefit to be gained by helping, no angle or reward. In fact, he lost quite a bit helping the man and could have lost even more. But he still did it. 

When we look at that example, our justifications for looking the other way in our own lives seem pretty thin, don’t they? 

If we want to live our lives as Christians who follow the word of the Lord, we have to be the Samaritan in this story. We need to replace fear with compassion, self-interest with love, and convenience with justice. We have to stop, bend down, and help whoever we can, whenever we can. 

 

- Amos Photography

"I don’t have a death wish”

This is Amos Nachoum’s refrain whenever he’s asked about his work. The answer to the immediate question that is posed in every interview, every meeting, and every casual chat with a new acquaintance. To be fair, it’s an honest question. After all, there are plenty of nature photographers out there, but how many make it their life’s work to document the largest and most aggressive of "dangerous animals”? Many photographers have taken photographs of polar bears, but how many have made it their mission to take a photo of one while swimming beside it? In this, Amos Nachoum stands alone, a man driven by a singular passion.

Nachoum himself would object to being called a photographer of "dangerous animals.” He much prefers to think of himself as a "big animal ambassador.” He has dedicated his more than 35-year career as a photographer to filming large predators in an effort to dispel myths about these animals and find the beauty behind the claws and fangs. He is driven by a belief that man can live in balance with nature, even the most savage of wildlife. 

It’s a belief he has staked his life on again and again. From close calls with the crocodiles of the Nile river, to the jaws of Greenland’s sharks, Nachoum has traveled the globe several times over in his quest to bring nature into the homes and imaginations of people all over the world. He has worked on commission for National Geographic, leading teams into the depths of the Red Sea.  He’s photo-logged the great whites of the Mediterranean, and even swam with killer whales. Nachoum has been nose-to-nose with some of the most impressive creatures to ever live beneath the waves.

What propels this Jaffa born photographer to such lengths is a mystery. A man of careful and considered speech, Nachoum prefers to let his work speak for itself. But for as aloof as he likes to appear, there must be something that drives him, some fascination that keeps him coming back to the ocean. Dangerous waters have been a theme for Nachoum his entire life. When he was five he drowned off the coast of Jaffa, an event he has no memory of. He remembers running along the beach with three of his friends, getting into the water, and then being resuscitated by a lifeguard. Maybe that early brush with death never quite let go.

 

 - Amos Photography

Of maybe it was his service in the military. Nachoum’s first career choice wasn’t photography. After high school, he served in the IDF’s Sayeret Shaked unit, a special forces group, during the Yom Kippur war. It’s a time in his life he rarely will discuss. All these years later, he still carries around a piece of shrapnel in his head from a wound sustained during his time with the unit, and the memories of friends who were not so lucky to walk away. But Nachoum doesn’t dwell on such matters, at least not publicly. Instead he prefers to talk about the other thing he carried out of his service – a passion for photography.

Nachoum stumbled into becoming a war photographer, first treating it as a hobby. An extension on his boyhood obsession with his father’s old camera equipment and something to do during his downtime during service. But soon the images he captured spoke to something else. He quickly found he had an eye for capturing the confusion and chaos of a conflict, the emotional core of those caught in a battle. It was a gift.

After leaving the military, Nachoum worked professionally as a war photographer for the Associated Press. While he excelled at the work, it soon burned him out. He had enough of fire and blood and wanted something more in life. Feeling like he had nothing in particular to lose, he traveled to the US hoping to take film studies in New York. As an immigrant who barely spoke English, Nachoum picked up a night job as a cabbie.

This was 1980, perhaps the peak of the NYU’s film studies program. That year the course had three teachers - Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Francis Coppola. It was an incredibly competitive program where students had to apply, show a portfolio of their work, and be interviewed for acceptance. Nachoum was one of only 35 accepted students of the hundreds who applied that year.

But unfortunately, it was not meant to be. There was no way for a new immigrant who spent the past few years photographing war zones on a freelance basis to make the tuition prices. Instead, he embarked on another journey, the one that would define his professional career. 

Nachoum went home to Israel and began dive tours of the Red Sea, promoted with his photography. It was here where he got the attention of National Geographic, and where he developed his taste for getting up close and personal with large animals. Every year would bring a new tour, a new destination, a new brush with death. Anacondas, orcas, sharks, he had done it all.

But there was always one photograph he longed to take. One he had nearly been killed trying to take before. One of a polar bear swimming underwater. But not one taken with a telephoto lens, or a remote camera. One taken right next to the bear, in its natural habitat and glory.

It is this obsession that is the focus of a new film documentary about Nachoum, Picture of His Life, a bio-pic detailing a five-day expedition in the Canadian arctic seeking that particular, death defying shot. 

 

Throughout the movie, you see different facets of Nachoum’s personality, from the fierce technician capable of getting shots no other photographer on the planet is able to get, to the philosopher bursting with love for his homeland and the planet at large. It is a movie that is as much about getting a new perspective on large predatory animals as it is trying to understand a complicated and nuanced individual. 

 

Beautiful white sand beaches. Rolling hills that stretch all along the coast. Pristine sparkling swimming coves. The island of Patmos looks every bit the part of a Greek paradise. The kind of place to just lose yourself in, breathing in the slightly salty breeze, allowing your cares to melt away. 

It’s ironic that this idyllic island slice of bliss was where the Apostle John was given his vision of the end of the world.

After the crucifixion and resurrection, John never stopped. He continued the good work of spreading the word of Christ in a land where persecution ran rampant. He played a critical role in the early church, helping to establish the places of worship that would keep Jesus’ message alive. Unfortunately, his luck couldn’t last forever, and eventually John was arrested by the Romans. His sentence was the ejection from his home and separation from his flock. Rather than kill him, the Romans banished him to remote place. A place without civilization or the hope of returning home. He was banished to Patmos.

John is distinct from the other Apostles in a few ways. He was Jesus’ favorite Apostle "the disciple beloved of Jesus” who leaned on him during the Last Supper. John along with Peter were the first disciples Jesus appeared to after the resurrection. Out of all the Apostles, John was the only one to escape martyrdom, to live a long life and die of natural causes. It was in Patmos, in his old age when he would receive his visions, and the fisherman who became a disciple would become a prophesier.

Think about that life, that moment. Here was John, old and frail. A man who had witnessed countless miracles, including the greatest miracle of them all. A man who has seen all his friends martyred, killed for their shared beliefs. Who now, in his advanced age, is uprooted from his home, his church, and his people, and forced to live in what was essentially an island penal colony. It was designed as a place to die, a dumping ground for troublemakers the Roman Empire didn’t want to deal with. 

This was it, the end. What more could there be? He had seen the highest highs and the lowest lows of the human experience, nothing left but to live out his remaining days, right? But then one day while on a mountain path, John hears something. Something strange. A swelling of trumpets behind him. It’s a heavenly host. 

Then he hears the voice of Jesus, telling him the future of things. What is to come, and how it will all end. And with that, John has new purpose, new life. He has to transcribe these things. He has to share this immense, profound gift with the world. He has spent his entire adult life preaching the word of Jesus, and now he has one final message to convey. How amazingly beautiful!

It was in what we now call the Cave of the Apocalypse where John received his visions and wrote the last book of the bible, Revelation. That location still exists today, about halfway up the mountain of Patmos, along the road between the villages of Chora and Skala. It is a remote spot in a remote island. The perfect place to speak to God. 

Remoteness is still a theme of Patmos today. Even in the modern age the island retains an air of mystery and reclusiveness. There is no airport on the island. If you wish to reach it, you’ll need to travel by boat. And life on the island is a little different from what you may be used to. 

The locals are friendly and laid back but also charmingly aloof. Unlike some tourist destinations where the shops and restaurants feel like commercialized props, the people of Patmos live their lives and carry about their business without much pretention. While some islands lean into the tourism industry and start to feel like wax museums, the populace of Patmos has a much more relaxed way of thinking which lends a refreshing air of authenticity to the surroundings.

Despite the breezy attitude though, there is still a strong backbone of faith at the center of the island. Overlooking the harbor of Chora, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian still stands as the dominant building on the island. A large, almost imposing structure made of brick and stone, fashioned to resemble a castle wall with ramparts and towers - a sombre reminder of the weighty message John delivered to the world.

Our own Rev. Dr. John Tweedie will be leading a tour following the footsteps of John on the Island in 2020 where you can see the Monastery for yourself. There is no better way to connect to the powerful message conveyed to us by John and the sheer wonder of the life of Jesus’ favourite disciple than to stand where he stood and breathe the same air. Keep on eye on the site for more information on the tour in the near future!

How much do you talk about Jesus? Not with your family, or with your fellow church-goers, or the close Christian friends you’ve made through church groups and activities. How much do you talk about Jesus out in the world? With people who don’t already share your beliefs? Who might be hostile to them? In other words, with the people who might really need to hear about Him?

Odds are, sadly not often enough. 

Data analysis organization LifeWay Research recently released a study that casts an unfortunately bleak spotlight on modern evangelism. Entitled the "Discipleship Pathway Assessment”, the study polled thousands of Christians on questions ranging from their thoughts about the church, their goals as Christians, and their everyday behavior. While fascinating in many ways, the results show a very real disconnect in what many seem to want from their church and themselves as Christians, and what they do.

One of the most glaring areas this disconnect manifests is when it comes to outreach. While 56% of those polled said they regularly (meaning at least once a week) pray for opportunities to share the gospel with non-Christians, a scant 55% percent of respondents have actually participated in any kind of spiritual conversation with anyone outside the faith in more than "the last six months” (IE, six months at least, possibly years). 

That is a tragic figure. So many of us are praying for something we seemingly have no real intention of following through with. That alone should give us pause.

But why are people hesitant to talk about faith? What is preventing these people who seem to want to share the Good News from actually doing it? The study itself hints at a few reasons. For example, 47% of millennials polled (people born in the early 80’s to mid-90’s) "agree at least somewhat” that it is impolite to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith. It’s considered a gaffe, something you wouldn’t want to be seen doing. 

The number of people who identify as religious as a whole is on the decline in the West, and those who are religious now face increasing social pressure to "stay in their lane” as it were when it comes to sharing those beliefs. This creates a vicious cycle. People are afraid to speak up about what they believe because they don’t see anyone else doing it, creating an inescapable silence. 

But spreading the gospel is one of our most important duties as Christians. It’s what Jesus came into this world to do and why He made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. In no uncertain terms, Jesus commands His followers to spread His word. From Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” He makes it clear that this needs to be a priority for every Christian.

There is good reason for this emphasis on spreading the word. For starters, what greater expression of loving your neighbour could there be than letting them know about the Lord? In what way could you more positively impact another person’s life than putting them on the path to eternal salvation? For all the good works you may do in your life, they will always come in second to this most important duty. 

And it is a duty. Jesus charges us to spread his word. From James 4:17 "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” How can we know His mercy and then selfishly keep it to ourselves? That is not what God wants from us, we are meant to spread it far and wide!

Sharing the word with others isn’t just good for them, it’s good for you too. It will lead you to a fuller, more developed understanding of the gospel and your relationship with the Lord. The more you discuss the details of your faith, the more you need to understand to be able to answer questions (yes, even pointed ones) about the Bible and Jesus’ gospel, the more you will grow as a Christian as well.

It may seem like keeping your faith to yourself is the smart thing to do. To keep it on the down low, not make waves, to keep your mouth shut and not say something that will make your friends and co-workers look at you differently. And maybe that is the smart play, the shrewdest maneuver. But Jesus never asked for us to be shrewd, He asked us to love our neighbours. To be bold. To do the right thing, not the smart thing. 

We should always talk about Jesus.