Musical accompaniment:  Two renditions of the River of Jordan in very different styles!

The Jordan River is an ancient place with tremendous significance. In the Bible, the Israelites crossed the river to cross into the Promised Land. Jesus was baptized there by St. John the Baptist.

The baptism in this photograph took place in 1906.

My mom visited the Middle East and was baptized in the river years before I was born. And my dear friend Ruwaida is from Jordan and she tells me the river looks just the same today as it did in this picture.