I’d like to start this post by talking about the lecture following our dinner tonight. The tour group we are with has been operating and bringing pilgrims to Israel since 1987 and they are absolutely topnotch. As a part of the tour, they provide a few free lectures after a day of traveling and tonights was on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I got a lot of questions about safety when I announced I was coming to Israel. We all seem to have this sense that things are tense and not good over here. I’ve not experienced a single moment of that anxiety. There is surely a sense of tension and the signs of struggle are everywhere but my personal safety hasn’t been a big concern.
One of the signs of the conflict is the wall between the West Bank and Israel. It’s this huge symbol of “ugh” that haunts the land. After the little information I did know and the lecture I attended this evening, I’m no where near ready to have a stance on this – other than to say that talking is a VERY good thing and we should encourage it each and everyday. Two men spoke tonight, one a Palestinian Christian and the other a Jew. They were respectful. They shared different sides of the argument. They, i’m sure disagree over certain aspects of the others story, but they were insistent that peace is a must and that it can only happen if the sides want it badly enough and will sit down to talk things out. It was a truly eye opening evening and conversation.
Beyond this lecture we also did a little walking about! We started the day with a beautiful panorama view of the city – Gehenna, the Walls of the city, the Dome of the Rock, the mount of olives, Gethsemane, and more churches/cathedrals than you could count. It was stunning. Our guide, Jimmy, is an amazing man – he would say this was where David marched in to the city, this was where Solomon built this, that is the place Jesus performed this miracle, over there is where the home of Caiaphas was. It was spectacular!
From here, we drove from Jerusalem the short 4 miles to Bethlehem. I knew it was only 4 miles but for some reason the distance between the cities always felt like it would be greater. Just think when the Magi took off from meeting the holy family and Herod sending those soldiers from the palace – it wouldn’t take but 5-10 minutes for them to be in Bethlehem about their horrible business.
Our first stop was the shepherds fields and it was just cool. As we sat taking it all in and sharing a devotion, I noticed a shepherd boy chasing his sheep down the side of one of the hills. I could hear the echo of the Angel announcement as I sat there, “Good New of Great Joy for all people!” We tried to have a devotional in one of the shepherds caves but the catholic priest came and told us to stop singing – our guide was furious that he hadn’t scheduled the space and was being so rude. To be honest, it was kinda funny.
From the fields, it was on to the site that it is believed Jesus was born. Three different churches share the caring for the space – imagine that, 3 agree on something. The opening to the church is a low cut entrance that you have to stoop to enter. They did that so raiding armies couldn’t ride their horses into the church, but it works for us too because it takes a great deal of humility to enter this place. I snapped some shots of many of our traveling team, including the Bishop and his wife before I approached the door. I got to tell you, it really moved me! The stooping and the anticipation of what was ahead caused me to slow everything about the moment. As you enter, you’re met with sites, sounds and smells that feel otherworldly.
The primary space is operated by the Greek Orthodox, so it has ornate pictures and lighting all over. I’ve spoken to people who warned me about this – some saying it was tacky and took away from the moment. I couldn’t disagree more! I found the icons moving. I found the smells settling. A fellow minister reflected that it was like they were framing and protecting the site. I loved it. The cave is under the church and as you enter and walk down the stairs you are taken by how small the space really is (part of that is because the church has tried to protect the site). It is believed that in the back of the cave, where it would be warmest, is the site of Jesus’ birth. There is an ornate star that marks the spot. You can kneel and touch the very spot that our Lord cried and breathed his first breathe of oxygen.
Following Bethlehem and a little shopping, we went to the Mount of Olives and got a completely different view of the city. What struck me most was the East Gate of the Temple Mount. This is the spot that Jews, Muslims and Christians look to as the place the Messiah will come, or come again, to bring about paradise. The gates are walled up and no one will open them up – not one faith will even dare to touch them. We walked down the hill to the chapel of Christ’s prayer over Jerusalem and then we took the Palm Sunday route down the hill.
We didn’t enter the city today, but instead went to Gethsemane. There are Olive trees in this garden that have been dated at over 2000 years of age. That means that some of these trees witnessed the agony of our Lord and supported the sleepy disciples as they could not “tarry for even one hour.” Inside the church of all nations, is the stone that it’s believed Jesus dropped to his knees and sweat drops of blood. As I knelt on the floor, I reached out and could touch this holy piece of earth. Our guide read Jesus’ prayer and I was frozen in time.
From Gethsemane, we drove across the valley of Gehenna (that’s the Hebrew word for Hell by the way – a place where pagan kings used to sacrifice their children to the god Molech and in Jesus’ day was used as a trash pit that was constantly on fire). Back up the other side of the city, we made our way to Caiaphas’ house. Here we remembered Peter’s denial inside the church. Underneath the sanctuary is the home of the high priest. The High Priest during this time was Caiaphas, and he held his office because Herod said so (in likelihood, Caiaphas paid Herod to hold the seat, which is also why they probably hated Jesus’ message so much). The house had a torture room and dungeon – which we could see both. Exiting the home, the ancient Roman road leading to Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives is still visible.
Today was another super busy day and tomorrow looks like it will be unreal as we make our way into the city and stand at the Wailing Wall and the Garden Tomb. As I reflect back on the day, I’m once again drawn to the desire of peace. Whether it’s praying for the peace of Jerusalem or the Palestinian states or whatever, I find that the prayer for peace is deepening in my soul. I pray for it now more than ever and that one day those Eastern Gates would be flung open wide that “the King of Glory would enter in.” I pray that the peace that the land needs would heal scars and generational aches. But I also prayed that the peace of this land would be a reminder of a peace within that I am in need of – that we’re all in need of. That’s where it starts – peace – it’s starts within. It starts with a heart willing to stoop into the doorways of life and bow, over and over again, to a King who was born not as he deserved but in a cave.
Shalom for now…
jim
