Cue the Goosebumps

This past Fourth of July weekend, while sitting on the very ground where the American Revolution unfolded in Annapolis, Maryland, I watched Hamilton on a large outdoor screen. There was something uniquely moving about experiencing the story in a place where history was not merely remembered but lived, where ordinary men risked everything because they believed the extraordinary truth that all men are created equal.

When the cast reached "The World Turned Upside Down," the song landed differently than it ever had before for me. Surrounded by the streets and shoreline that witnessed the birth of a nation, those lyrics became more than part of a remarkable musical. They became a reminder that places have a unique way of opening our hearts to truths we already know with our minds.

Places shape our understanding. Reading about an event is one thing. Standing where it happened has a way of dissolving the distance between the past and the present. History becomes tangible, and what once seemed distant suddenly feels personal. Cue the goosebumps.

I've never made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but I imagine the experience is immeasurably greater. To stand where Christ preached, healed, carried His Cross, died, and rose again no doubt brings the Gospels to life in a way that no book or imagery ever could. If standing on the soil of our nation's founding deepened my appreciation for the sacrifices that secured our earthly freedom, I can only imagine how walking where our Lord accomplished the work of our redemption would deepen understanding of the freedom won for us by Christ and amplify one’s gratitude, and love for Him.