Machu Picchu

This is where I dream of travelling and praying. This is the place that has been on my heart the last while, but sprang back to the forefront as I spent time in Scripture on Sunday morning. As I was studying tonight, I was wandering through some websites discussing the history of Peru and of Machu Picchu in particular.

Some things that piqued my interest in my wanderings?

The Peruvian government is pursuing legal action to re-obtain thousands of artifacts that the archaelogist who re-discovered the site in the early 1900's removed without permission.

The name "Machu Picchu" is from the Quecha, meaning "Old Peak".

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a site deemed to have outstanding cultural or natural importance to the heritage of mankind.

It is "invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs." (from an article here).

It is believed to have been closely linked to the spirit world - it contains a historic sun dial made of stone. There are Shamanic legends suggesting that if a sensitive person touches their forehead to the stone, their vision will be open to the spirit world. (same article as the previous point)

Psalm 118:19-20
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.

These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,

Matthew 7:13-14

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."