Holy Land trip a blessing and chance of a lifetime for musician
Scott Napier at the Garden Tomb
The trip of a lifetime has become the memory of a lifetime for Scott Napier. Napier, from Clay City, was part of the Mike Scott and the Nashville Band that played at the Jacob’s Ladder Music Festival in Israel last month. In fact, the Bluegrass band was the representative for American music at the festival this year.
It was an experience he likes to share and one he will never forget.
“We were well received and it is a beautiful country,” Napier said after he returned. “It was estimated that some 4,600 people were at our show. We participated in a square dance, it was a huge crowd but they were prepared for us. The crowd knew the tunes.”
In fact the band had a lot of fun while there. “We got to perform with a gypsy jazz band,” Napier recalled. “Many of the people and artists may not have spoken English, but we could speak to each other through music.”
Napier did find a few things that he marveled at.
“Over there Christianity is a big time minority. Most of the Christians there were tourists,” he said. “But despite being so close to the border and with all the talk you hear about the trouble there, the music festival was peaceful and nice. We were near the Sea of Galilee and it almost looks like its man made, but its not. It’s in the middle of the desert and is a huge vacation spot for Israelis.”
He also noticed that everything in the country seems to revolve around religion. “Their discipline, clothes, food and even the times of day they pray revolves around their religion there,” Napier noted.
He also took some time to do a little sight-seeing. He visited the Western Wall, the Garden Tomb and even a temple at Capernaum. He even got to see the Garden of Gethsemane and what is supposed to be the remains of the Apostle Peter mother’s house.
“When you tour Jerusalem there are seven points they take you to that relates to Jesus. I got goose bumps. The historical part of Israel is amazing and really shows how young America really is when you compare the history,” Napier said. “The Jordan River, I got in it. When you read the Bible stories or hear about them, then go there and see the places, it brings it to life. In actuality it looks like the areas really have not changed much over 2,000 years. I’d say visiting there will change you; it gives you a 3D effect of Christianity. It’s amazing.”
He also noticed that the people there have adjusted the ancient sites to be modern too. But that some things are pretty much the same as it has always been.
“Everything is local. The food used in restaurants or at stores is locally grown, they are just now starting to use bottled water,” he stated. “What we are trying to get back to (going green or organic) they have never left.”
Napier also noticed one big important lesson. “The human nature of people is the same around the world. Music transverses through language barriers,” he said. “It was a trip I loved and I would love to go back there again.”