Many Christians are missing the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, which is enveloped in the threat of war. But photographer Ken Duncan, known for his panoramic shots of natural beauty, is launching an enlarged version of his classic book Where Jesus Walked, which took him months to compile.
“You will discover the locations of many of Jesus’ famous miracles and see shepherds herding their sheep along the ancient road from Jericho to Jerusalem,” the announcement of the book’s launch next month explains. “You will look out over the Kidron Valley, imagining Jesus’triumphal entry into Jerusalem on His way to the last supper, and see the upper room where He shared that meal with His disciples. You will visit the Temple in Jerusalem, where Jesus over-turned the money changers’ tables, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed so fervently before He was arrested.
“You will see the Pillar of the Kiss, where Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. You can take a solemn walk along the Via Dolorosa where Jesus carried the heavy burden of the Cross on His way to Calvary.”
The Other Cheek was drawn to the inclusion of Duncan’s testimony in the new edition. Reading it makes it clear this was a man pursued by God.
“I had three miraculous encounters that eventually led me to surrender to Jesus. First, I got involved in occult practices, thinking I had control over spiritual powers. One night, on top of Uluru (Ayers Rock) during a full moon, I was tormented by demonic spirits. The spiritual attack continued until I remembered the teachings from my youth and cried out, “God help me.” The demonic powers were immediately cut off, and I went to sleep for hours on that rock. When I awoke, I knew God had intervened, but still wasn’t willing to give in.
“The second battle was in the body. While climbing, I took a fall that could have killed me but only took skin off my foot and some other parts of my body. The foot became badly infected, and after long months of pain, a vascular specialist realised I had gangrene spreading through my foot. The doctors were discussing how much of my foot they should amputate. This was serious! I knew I had been running from Jesus.
“Again, in desperation, I called out to Jesus, and a miracle happened. I felt Jesus’ presence in my hospital room, the pain disappeared, and I went to sleep. The next morning, the doctor was amazed. Gangrenous flesh had come back to life. As a man of science, he could not explain it, but he knew something miraculous had happened. The doctor only amputated half of one toe, and if he had waited, I may have been healed completely. After that, you’d think I would give in. Not me!
My third encounter was that of the mind. While waiting for a photograph in the freezing wilderness of southwest Tasmania, I developed hypothermia. Just before my mind began to fail me, I got the image I wanted, and my mind told me to lie down and rest. I would certainly have died there, but as I was drifting off to sleep, I clearly heard a voice say, “Get back to your car.” …
“The next morning, I realised God had helped me once again. I had run the gauntlet, and I was done fighting. Jesus was real, and I had to do something about it. Not long after that, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour. The simple act of acknowledging that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and giving Him authority over my life, brought a peace to my life that can only be truly understood through personal experience. Jesus said to know God, we need to be born again. We were all born of the flesh; we had no say in that. When we are born again of the Spirit, it is our choice.”
Where Jesus Walked will be launched at the Ken Duncan Gallery, Erina Heights, NSW, on November 2 and 3.
Duncan will be in the Gallery from 9 am to 4 pm both days. He will happily share additional stories from his explorations and sign books for visitors. The Where Jesus Walked book is available now through the Gallery – in store and online at www.kenduncan.com – and also through Koorong.