by Mario Dimain

Created on: March 23, 2009

Amid disturbing world news that highlights the never-ending hostilities targeting Israel, one would think that it would be complete madness, if not suicidal,
to travel to such a volatile place. And yet, I found myself in Milan International Airport, staring at an electronic sign with its colorful pixels glaring back at me, spelling out the Air Alitalia Flight departing for Tel Aviv. Along with my wife, I would soon board the aircraft, together with the other pilgrims from St. Thomas More Church. We were to fly to The Holy Land.

Three weeks earlier, there was a great battle going on in my head. As much as I wanted to visit The Holy Land, I was also dreadfully aware of the potential danger that could ignite at any time along the way. My wife had to persuade me to join the pilgrimage. Her persistence and the irresistible opportunity to photograph the biblical and historical places were instrumental in somewhat overpowering my reservations about the trip.

As we waited for the shuttle bus that would take us to the tarmac, the fear once again managed to creep into my veins. It was corroding my nervous system. The "what If?" revived the old nagging thoughts. Maybe there is a terrorist on board? A suicide bomber perhaps? What about being blown up in the sky? Whoa! The self-induced paranoia was choking me. I needed something to divert my thoughts. I took some candid shots of our group who seemed undeterred by what was happening in the Middle East. Thanks to my camera, it calmed me down. Before I knew it, we were airborne and there was no turning back. I heard myself praying, "Dear God, I know that The Holy Land has been photographed countless times by many talented photographers. What I will be shooting are just repetitions of their work, but if there is something you want me to shoot, lead me to it and please deliver me back home safely so I can share it,
too. Amen."

As I looked out the plane's
window, the clouds below were like huge formations of fluffy cotton. I was marvelling at their beauty when suddenly something strange caught my eye. Out of nowhere, a glint of colors appeared then magically transformed into a circular rainbow. The circle of colors was captivating but when the shadow of our aircraft mysteriously revealed itself inside it, I was mystified. My heart started pounding heavily as I asked myself, "Is this an omen? Is God telling me something?" I sensed something very special was happening. The circular rainbow enclosing the airplane's shadow was like

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