Ein Gedi: Near to Him

Ein Gedi is an oasis in the desert near the Dead Sea. We walked one of the paths of Ein Gedi which was hewn into the rock. A small stream of water ran alongside the path, cascading down a number of tiny waterfalls as we walked up. Right beside this water, lukewarm in the sun and cool in the shade, was green vegetation. In the same valley, just meters away (and sometimes mere inches), the terrain returned to its normal image: rocks, dust, sparse and barely-surviving vegetation. Apart from the area near the water nothing looked desirable.

As we walked upward we came to a place where the path and the water met. There was a tunnel, about five feet high and seven feet wide, formed out of rocks on the bottom and reeds/roots on top. The air was immediately cooler and the smell of, perhaps, fresh straw minus the farm became apparent. Further still were pools of water and similar tunnels. We finally arrived at the highest point we could walk to and there was a waterfall. It wasn't immediately impressive, coming out of the rock like water from a faucet as opposed to large waterfalls as we're accustomed to think. The rocks formed like a roof over the area covered with thick vines and rich vegetation. Apart from the water it was silent and peaceful. The air was even a bit cooler now and I took a while to reflect in prayer how this very place has been used in Scripture.

I give this description to help you walk, in some small way, the path I walked. It is amazing to consider that in the following passages the inspired authors had the very place I had walked in mind. They themselves had visited this place, a safe haven for travelers and a place of repose for the weary. But rather than simply reflect on comfort, they saw the land itself tell a story and teach a lesson. Here I offer, weak though I am, my reflection on the beauty they saw and, more importantly, how one may learn about God.

“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Ein Gedi … As a lilly among brambles, so is my love among maidens. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men” (Song of Songs, 1:14, 2:2-3).

God says to Wisdom, “Make your dwelling in Jacob … among your chosen people put down your roots” (Sir 24:8b).

Wisdom replies, “I grew tall like a pine tree in Ein Gedi” (24:14)

A famous scene between Saul and King David takes place in the caves in Ein Gedi. As Saul leaves, his life spared by David, David emerges from the cave holding the tassel he had cut and shouts out to Saul proclaiming that he had done no harm to him though God had delivered Saul into his hands. He says, “Know and see today that it is not evil in my hands, nor injustice and a breach of trust, and that I have not sinned against you” (1 Sam 24:11).

Ein Gedi is mentioned other times but in these three passages it is spoken about most explicitly. We find that Ein Gedi, its landscape, is a living analogy of love, wisdom, as well as mercy and reconciliation.

Ein Gedi was chosen as a portrait for three important virtues that help us grow closer to God. Just as everything quickly dies and turns to desert when it is far away from the water so too does this happen to all things that are far from these virtues. Ein Gedi is a place of contradictions.

Beauty without love is ugliness.

Knowledge without wisdom is ignorance.

Justice without mercy and forgiveness is tyranny.

Ein Gedi was chosen as a portrait of life being nearness to God. Everything apart from him, even the greatest virtues, die quickly and turn to a desert waste. Ein Gedi is a place of contradictions and that which we hold dear is placed in stark contrast with a new truth.

Money without God is poverty.

Harmony without God is cacophony.

Life without God is death.

Think of every good thing in your life—because God is in your life—everything, even trials, may be a source of joy for you. Without God even your accomplishments will be a source of grief.

The inspired authors saw this and this beautiful spot teaches this. It stands as a living symbol for this truth:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind (Dt 6:5)

Good for its own Sake?

I'm not sure why this came to my mind I was praying Daytime prayer and this line struck me:

Come children and hear
me that I may teach you fear of the Lord.
Who is he who longs for life
and many days, to enjoy prosperity?

Then keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn aside from evil and do good
seek and strive after peace.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turn his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal. (Ps 34: 12-18, Breviary)

I was struck because I recall a number of conversations I have concerning goodness. Whether it's on the topic of gay marriage, ethical living, a good life, and so forth I get comments ranging from "I don't know if you noticed, but people are very happy without God" (literal comment) and the more understandable "You don't need to believe in God to be a good person."

I'll let it slide that I already believe they're good by virtue of their being created and existing. Those who live according to justice, mercy, and charity are even better for they show their faith by their works. The psalm says, after all, "turn aside from evil and do good." The psalmist has spoken that in order for a long life and prosperity one must do the good. The Bible never shies away from telling us to do good. Note that many days is a long life. The psalmist, however, tells us whoever longs for life itself--the first in the list of life--must do good. Length and prosperity are secondary to life itself which is precisely a life spent doing the good.

It's no wonder that atheists and non-believers of many sorts are happy when they do good. That's the very essence, if you will, to life itself.

The difference here is that the whole of this phrase begins with fear of the Lord. Scriptures say that it is the beginning of wisdom. Fear can take on many forms too. Some fear punishment and do good out of fear. Others do good out of recognition of what is good, loving it because it is life-giving. Some believe that those who believe in God only do the former and those who don't believe only do the latter!

This is the section of Psalm 34 that brought me around to this reflection:

If men who believe in God sin they are doing what is wicked and deprive themselves of life. This is also a choice, but they choose sins because they are advantageous, opportune, or pleasurable despite the risks and (at times) the costs. We who sin do what seems good (or even evil) at the cost of what is truly good. How does the non-believer also not succumb to such temptation of doing what isn't good in favor of his own good? The answer is that he succumbs like all the rest of us; he is not special and we are not special either.

If one were to take the mention of God out of the phrase above it would seem like a normal thing to say: the one who desires a long and happy life should do good and avoid evil. Yet those who truly know themselves know how often their will rebels against their reason--desire trumps reason far too many times.

This is why Sirach says "The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, nor is there prudence in the council of sinners. ... there are those with little understanding who fear God, and those of great intelligence who violate the law" (Sir 19:18, 20).

Knowing the good is also not a love of the good and one who says he will simply love the good for its own sake knows in his heart if he speaks the truth or if he is a liar. "There is a shrewdness keen but dishonest, which by duplicity wins a judgment" (19:21).

Some, atheist and Christian, are more disciplined than me but few men will always love the good. Those who believe in God make an appeal to Christ for the helplessness of our dilemma but I do not know what appeal an atheist can make other than that of his own will. We have a tendency in general to glorify the will. The will is important in choosing the good but we are sorely mistaken if we think knowing what is good will make us choose it.

The Psalmist rightly recognizes this. He says that all of wisdom and a good life must come from a fear of the Lord, that is (1) a recognition of His supreme goodness, (2) a recognition that He will, in the end, enforce that Law, namely that goodness and righteousness will endure and wickedness and injustice fall away, and (3) it is He who calls us to do what is good.

(3) is so very important. Goodness as an idea is a concept, one to be apprehended and used. But God is a person and so goodness itself is a personal relationship--it is something experienced and grown. No one apprehends a person by simply knowing him but by being in a relationship, a loving one, with the other. Sin is betrayal. In fact it's labeled as infidelity in marriage.

Those who say they will do good for its own sake may do good for the sake of someone else (society, human beings in need, loved ones) but I do not think the phrase is accurate: "I do good for its own sake." No, they do good for the sake of something else.

It's still good, but it's not a relationship with good, merely knowledge. And the Christian who sins acts against both person and knowledge, something far worse.

An idea can be forgotten and remembered, but little changes.
A person may hurt another but there is great power in reconciliation. There's a great growth of love in forgiveness.