Belegan: Total Chaos
We had a new tour guide today, Hannah, as we made our way back to Jerusalem! As I'm sure you've noticed, we tend to visit Jerusalem a lot and that's mostly because there's so much to see there. Monday we focused on the temple and the ancient history (Old Testament), Thursday we visited the Dome of the Rock and were on the Temple Mount, and today we focused on Jesus' life (mostly leading up to his death).
It's Not About The Location, It's About Connecting With The Story
One thing to remember throughout this blog post and when attending the Holy Land in general is to not get caught up in the logistics. Many holy sites act as memorials to recognize certain people or events. It can't be certain that these events happened directly in the spot that they are today. The guides have been doing a good job reminding us that this is so much more than the concrete images we see. Our faith has the opportunity to grow as we relate what we know in the Bible to different sites that also help recognize the important events. It's sad to see people who put so much belief into these sites and get caught up in what they see.
We started off at the top of the Mount of Olives at the Church of the Ascension. This church is at the very top point of the Mount of Olives and is believed to have been where Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection because it is the place that is closest to heaven. In the Church there is a place in the rock with a footprint and some recognize that this is Jesus's last footprint on earth. Those who visit lean down and will kiss the footprint as they walk by. Another interesting thing about most sites in Jerusalem is that so many different religions recognize them as special and holy. So for example, this Church of Ascension is owned by the Muslims. That wasn't something that I was expecting when I came here. But these different places are all parts of other religions narratives as well. And many reasons why different religions "own" these sites is because of events that happened in history with the Crusades and Byzantine era.
Right across the road we went to another church/holy site where people say that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the Lords Prayer. What's so special about this site is that along the walls outside and inside there are mosaic tiles with the Lords Prayer in all different languages. The point is that most people that came to these holy sites back in the day came on a "pilgrimage" from all over. When they got here they could feel that connection and community when they found the plaque with their native language on it. Towards the center of this holy site, they have the Hebrew and Aramaic translations because those were the languages used in Jesus' day.
As we descended the Mount of Olives, Hannah stopped us to point out that Jesus went up and down the Mount of Olives so many times in His life. Now you may think, "Ahh no big deal" but this Mount of Olives is quite the trek up and down! And to think back then, they didn't have a nice paved road either ;) It was another perspective that we could think about as we went down the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. When we got about halfway down the Mount of Olives we had the perfect eye level view at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In Luke 19:28-44 we read the story of the Triumphal Entry. During this scripture passage Jesus is descending from the Mount of Olives and he sees Jerusalem and weeps over it; crying for the destruction that will one day come in this city. (I encourage you to go read the passage!) Now, here we are looking directly across to the Temple Mount where a temple no longer stands on it but rather a mosque. Seeing Jesus' predictions come true and reading that passage while looking at it, was a powerful experience.
One thing that is surprising and something that I didn't expect from this experience but is very apparent now is how populated all these holy sites are. For example, when we visited the Garden of Gethsemane I was looking forward to seeing the Garden and hopefully reading from the Bible passage and soaking in that moment in the peace, trying to imagine what it would have been like. But think about it, every single person wants to see this site! It is so populated and busy-everyone elbow to elbow. So it's definitely been a challenge to really soak it is and block out all the distractions through it all. A challenge: but a great reward!
We ended the day walking the Via Dolorosa which is the "path" that Jesus took to be crucified. It's not the actual path but it gets a good idea of where Jesus would have had to go through to get to the spot where He was crucified. Along the way there are "stations" which commemorate and recognize the different events that took place on this journey; when Jesus fell, when Mary saw Jesus carrying the cross, when Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus' cross, and etc. There are 12 stations along the way. The point is not to get caught up in the exact spots but rather about the meditation and prayer that takes place as you make this journey and think about it all. One thing I didn't know about Jesus' walk to his crucifixion is that he walked through the market place. Market places in Jerusalem are crazy!! They are so full of people, hustling and bustling, buying and selling. Now imagine, Jesus carrying a cross through this all!! Not to mention Jerusalem is extremely hilly. I can't even imagine. It was a sombering experience as we walked this path and ended up in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Some say this is the authentic location of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. (Some Protestants argue for another spot in Jerusalem, known as the "garden tomb") At the time of Jesus' life this would have been outside of Jerusalem gates but now it is in the center of it all. This church is owned by many religions where they all care for different parts of the church and have different times that they are allowed to hold ceremonies and traditions in the church. In this church is the top of the rock of Golgotha where Jesus was believed to be crucified. People wait in line for a loooong time to kiss the rock and touch it. On the floor below this is a slab of rock where they believe that Jesus was laid on after he died. People believe this is holy so they kiss it as well as lay their souvenirs on it to transfer the holiness to their souvenirs. There was something about this that just made me uncomfortable....It seemed as though people put so much emphasis on the items and putting faith in them that it took away from what it could be. I walked out, in awe for sure, but was also sad to see all the people filing in who maybe were going in just so they could stand in line for hours to say the touched the rock.
Today was a somber experience, not exactly all smiles as we walked this path and thought about it but it's a feeling that I hope I can take with me for the rest of my life.
It's Not About The Location, It's About Connecting With The Story
One thing to remember throughout this blog post and when attending the Holy Land in general is to not get caught up in the logistics. Many holy sites act as memorials to recognize certain people or events. It can't be certain that these events happened directly in the spot that they are today. The guides have been doing a good job reminding us that this is so much more than the concrete images we see. Our faith has the opportunity to grow as we relate what we know in the Bible to different sites that also help recognize the important events. It's sad to see people who put so much belief into these sites and get caught up in what they see.
We started off at the top of the Mount of Olives at the Church of the Ascension. This church is at the very top point of the Mount of Olives and is believed to have been where Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection because it is the place that is closest to heaven. In the Church there is a place in the rock with a footprint and some recognize that this is Jesus's last footprint on earth. Those who visit lean down and will kiss the footprint as they walk by. Another interesting thing about most sites in Jerusalem is that so many different religions recognize them as special and holy. So for example, this Church of Ascension is owned by the Muslims. That wasn't something that I was expecting when I came here. But these different places are all parts of other religions narratives as well. And many reasons why different religions "own" these sites is because of events that happened in history with the Crusades and Byzantine era.
"Jesus' Footprint"
Right across the road we went to another church/holy site where people say that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the Lords Prayer. What's so special about this site is that along the walls outside and inside there are mosaic tiles with the Lords Prayer in all different languages. The point is that most people that came to these holy sites back in the day came on a "pilgrimage" from all over. When they got here they could feel that connection and community when they found the plaque with their native language on it. Towards the center of this holy site, they have the Hebrew and Aramaic translations because those were the languages used in Jesus' day.
As we descended the Mount of Olives, Hannah stopped us to point out that Jesus went up and down the Mount of Olives so many times in His life. Now you may think, "Ahh no big deal" but this Mount of Olives is quite the trek up and down! And to think back then, they didn't have a nice paved road either ;) It was another perspective that we could think about as we went down the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. When we got about halfway down the Mount of Olives we had the perfect eye level view at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In Luke 19:28-44 we read the story of the Triumphal Entry. During this scripture passage Jesus is descending from the Mount of Olives and he sees Jerusalem and weeps over it; crying for the destruction that will one day come in this city. (I encourage you to go read the passage!) Now, here we are looking directly across to the Temple Mount where a temple no longer stands on it but rather a mosque. Seeing Jesus' predictions come true and reading that passage while looking at it, was a powerful experience.
One thing that is surprising and something that I didn't expect from this experience but is very apparent now is how populated all these holy sites are. For example, when we visited the Garden of Gethsemane I was looking forward to seeing the Garden and hopefully reading from the Bible passage and soaking in that moment in the peace, trying to imagine what it would have been like. But think about it, every single person wants to see this site! It is so populated and busy-everyone elbow to elbow. So it's definitely been a challenge to really soak it is and block out all the distractions through it all. A challenge: but a great reward!
Garden of Gethsemane
This is most likely the place where John 5 takes place: The Healing at the Pool. This story is when Jesus went and saw the invalid lying outside away from the pool and was asking people to help him get to it. Jesus told the man to pick up his mat and walk and the man did! The Pharisees didn't like this however because it was the Sabbath. Knowing a little more about what Shabbat means to the Jews, any work is forbidden. So when the man picked up his mat, the Pharisees were immediately upset because he was working. And then when they found out that Jesus had healed him they were mad because he was working as well. Not to mention the fact that Jesus said He could work because His Father was working! Blasphemy in the eyes of the Pharisees.
Bethesda: Healing Pool
We ended the day walking the Via Dolorosa which is the "path" that Jesus took to be crucified. It's not the actual path but it gets a good idea of where Jesus would have had to go through to get to the spot where He was crucified. Along the way there are "stations" which commemorate and recognize the different events that took place on this journey; when Jesus fell, when Mary saw Jesus carrying the cross, when Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus' cross, and etc. There are 12 stations along the way. The point is not to get caught up in the exact spots but rather about the meditation and prayer that takes place as you make this journey and think about it all. One thing I didn't know about Jesus' walk to his crucifixion is that he walked through the market place. Market places in Jerusalem are crazy!! They are so full of people, hustling and bustling, buying and selling. Now imagine, Jesus carrying a cross through this all!! Not to mention Jerusalem is extremely hilly. I can't even imagine. It was a sombering experience as we walked this path and ended up in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Some say this is the authentic location of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. (Some Protestants argue for another spot in Jerusalem, known as the "garden tomb") At the time of Jesus' life this would have been outside of Jerusalem gates but now it is in the center of it all. This church is owned by many religions where they all care for different parts of the church and have different times that they are allowed to hold ceremonies and traditions in the church. In this church is the top of the rock of Golgotha where Jesus was believed to be crucified. People wait in line for a loooong time to kiss the rock and touch it. On the floor below this is a slab of rock where they believe that Jesus was laid on after he died. People believe this is holy so they kiss it as well as lay their souvenirs on it to transfer the holiness to their souvenirs. There was something about this that just made me uncomfortable....It seemed as though people put so much emphasis on the items and putting faith in them that it took away from what it could be. I walked out, in awe for sure, but was also sad to see all the people filing in who maybe were going in just so they could stand in line for hours to say the touched the rock.
Today was a somber experience, not exactly all smiles as we walked this path and thought about it but it's a feeling that I hope I can take with me for the rest of my life.
Outside the Church
People kissing the stone and laying their souvenirs on it
We returned to the hotel and had the night to ourselves. Erika and I went out onto the roof last night and looked out. This place has a beauty to it but a lot of hurt and pain as well. So many mixed emotions, thankful to be here but confused as well as we continue day after day. Prayers would be appreciated specifically for me and for those on the trip that are having these same feelings. Thanks for reading once again!
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