I usually write this each night after we get back from our day(so it is fresh in my mind), however yesterday I wrote in the morning (18th) and today (19th) will be a combo of all day the 18th and 19th so sit back and enjoy...
5/18
We started our day right after lunch. We had to be wearing what we call our "modesty kits" - these are clothes that cover our knees (pants for guys and skirts for girls) so that we can be respectful in certain churches. So if you can imagine walking all day in the hot sun in long pants you know what you're in for.
Our First stop was David's City (this was the original place King David began his kingdom). Now it is a small outcropping just outside the main walls of Jerusalem. The coolest part of this whole day was walking Hezekiah's Tunnel. This is an underground tunnel that brought water into the city from a spring located just outside the city. (2 Kings 20:20 & 2 Chron 32:30 are references)It was dark, had water to my knees, 1750 ft long, 4 feet wide and at some places 4 feet tall. It was quite the experience. The tunnel emptied out into what is called the Siloam Pool. This is the pool Jesus asked the blind man to wash his eyes in John 9 (Kate I found you another rock there from the pool bed).
Next we went over to the remains just outside of the Western Wall. Here was an excavation of stone from the original wall from when Jesus was alive. It was when the temple was destroyed that the Talmud (the basic religious authority with the Jewish Bible) claims that God's presence came to rest at the western wall. This is why it is regarded as holy and people still visit it today. The most moving part of my day was going down to the Western wall and being among those people praying - placing my hand on the wall and thinking of all the people who have prayed here. I prayed for many people and myself as I stood connected to this wall. It was a fitting end to our day.
5/19
This day started for me at 5:30a. We had to be on the bus and leaving at 7a. So I was up early and had breakfast and then it was off to the bus. This ride was going to take us east to the top of the Mount of Olives and beyond. Our first stop was a Palestinian city called Bethany. This was the home of Mary and Martha and where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It was here that Eugene - a Franciscan Monk from Jerusalem. He had been at this parish for 30 years (note the picture). He spoke to me of devotion and holiness and I couldn't help but sense a devout and simple faith. He was very kind to us (even though I am sure he sees many tourists each day).
Next we visited two churches very close to one another on the Mount of Olives. The Chapel of the Ascension - where there is a tradition that inside this church there is a rock where Jesus "took off" to go back to heaven. Hmmmmm....
Then to the Paternoster Church of the Ascension (this church has an earlier tradition about Jesus ascending from this church. Here they have the Lords prayer in mosaics in 200 hundred languages. (I have a picture of the Portuguese one).
Next it was down the Mount of Olives further to the Church of All Nations. Here is where you find the garden of Gethsemane where it is believed that Jesus went to pray the night before he was crucified.
A little further down the hill was the tomb of Mary the mother of Jesus. There were TONS of people here.
We got back on the bus and drove out into the West Bank - through the check point and the wall built by the Israelis to keep the Palestinians out. We visited an old fortress and then went to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. Here is where you find the spot where Jesus supposedly hit the ground when he was born (note the picture).
Here I met another Franciscan Monk named Tom. He was from Milwaukee and had only been at this parish for 5 months. He talked to me about the suffering of the Palestinians and how many of the police who helped him at the Church had not been paid in 3 months because of the situation with Hamas.
It was only a half hour later that I met Mohammed - a policeman who had been working out in front of the church for ten years. He has four kids (7, 5, 4, 1) and recently sold his refrigerator so he could get some money. He told me he needed to do something else so he was trying to sell his TV but no one has money to buy it. I all of a sudden felt sympathy for him and his family. I wished I could go to his house and play with his kid - or better yet get my family and his family and hang out and buy them dinner. How lucky we are in the US. I watched as he looked enviously at the coke and ice cream members of our group were eating - I was ashamed at my complaints about sleeping in a hot room.
Back to the hotel after almost 11 hours. Dinner and then down to the Western Wall for Shabbat (the Sabbath). Jews celebrate the Sabbath from sundown on Friday (everything closes - minus a few shops run by Christians or Arabs) until sundown on Saturday. At the Western wall there were literally thousands of Jews in their Shabbat clothes (sorry I didn't have my camera) worshipping at the Wall. It was quite a sight.
Back to the hotel and then here I am sitting here writing this. It is another early day tomorrow so I better get to sleep. Sorry that was so long. Hevenu Shalom Aleicham.
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