Shabbat

It is hard to believe that it was only two weeks ago that I was getting on a plane at O’Hare and heading here to Israel.  It has felt like I have been here for months! But it hasn’t felt too long, it has been the good amount of long, if that makes any since.  In the past two weeks, I have learned a lot, more than I expected to be honest.  I have learned so much about the geography and the historical and current significance of this land through our adventures with Dr. Wright; I have learned so much about the early church, theology and Christian life through my experience with Drs. Cohick and Kalantzis; I have learned so much about the people on this program with me as we have spent many sweaty, dusty, smelly hours with each other in the hot desert sun; I have learned so much about myself as I explored this country with an open mind and I have explored God’s word and been open to what He has to say to me. Already this program has been so influential to me and I am excited to see where the next four weeks takes me.

            This morning, we walked across the Hinnom Valley into the New City to go to Dr. Lenk’s synagogue.  The synagogue that she attends is Orthodox, so men and women were divided in the synagogue by a curtain, and all the men needed head coverings. We arrived to the service after the songs of praise and prayer were over. When we got there we had to split up because our group was large. I ended sitting up in the front row. I sat to a Jew, Jon Marc who was probably in his early thirties. He could tell that I was pretty lost since the service was all in Hebrew.  He spoke very good English and would talk to me throughout the service, explaining what was going on in the service and asking me about my stay in Jerusalem.  He said that this level of informality, talking during the service and people getting up and walking around the synagogue, was what surprised most of his Christians friends that he took to synagogue. During the service, there was a time when couples who got married this past week or will get married in the upcoming week get to ceremoniously read from the Torah. There was so much joy in this part of the service it was really wonderful to see; the couple danced around the Torah and read the selected passage.  It was a really great experience to be here for worship; I felt accepted and it was a very worthwhile experience.  Because I couldn’t understand the readings that were going on, I spent most of the service reading the prayer book that I had picked up that was in English. There were a wide variety of prayers ranging from the Psalms to prayers for the Israeli government and military, I even saw prayers for the American military. It was a very interesting contrast.

            In the afternoon Drs. Cohick and Kalantzis lectured to us on the Trinity and history of the gospels. It raised a lot of questions and definitely challenged me to think about the way I understand God and the Trinity. I need more time to process and understand what we talked about today before I can really formulate coherent ideas, but I have definitely had my curiosity peaked. I am excited to learn more.

Tonight we had a dessert at Dr. Wrights’s house. There was a ton of food, including a chocolate fondue.  We got to hang out together as a group, and just relax. We sat around the piano and sang songs and danced. We started with Journey and Billy Joel and moved into some Old Crow Medicine Show and into some Beyoncé. We ended on the Honey Rock song, which has always been one of my favorites. It is sung in a round and proclaims to glory of God. It always sends shivers down my spine and it is a really beautiful song. After this gather I went up to the roof and sat on the edge of roof and overlooked the New City, and sat ant thought. It was a good way to end and restful and fun day. 

Bak to Jerusalem

Today we got to wake up slow. Our class didn’t start until 9:15 so that meant that I got to leisurely wake up, eat breakfast and enjoy some quiet time in the sun reading.

            We spent part of the mornings lecture going over Israel’s Proclamation of Independence. It was very interesting to see how the state of Israel presented its values and identity and independence in this document. The first half of the document went over the history of the Jewish people, and legitimized the reason for having an independent Jewish state. The second half focused on the setting up of an independent, democratic, Jewish state. It was an interesting exercise to critically read through this document that is controversial. It was interesting as well to see some parallels as well with the Declaration of Independence. After we had read this document over and processed it for a while, we walked across the new city to the Shalom Hartmon Institute, a Jewish educational center, where we talked to Dr. Marci Lenk, an orthodox Jew who immigrated Israel in her twenties, returned to the states to get doctorate in early Biblical studies, and then returned again to Israel.  We went through the Proclamation with her. We were able to get a better understanding of what Israel stood for, what Israelis believed about their country.  It was interesting to see how the Israeli government decided to deal with their Jewishness and democracy. It was very beneficial to talk over this important document and these issues with an Israeli. We briefly brought up the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and even though we barely scratched the surface, it was good to hear an insider’s opinion. I still don’t know enough top form a well-educated opinion of my own, but this talk was very helpful and very open.

            I spent the afternoon relaxing in the New City, eating gelato and drinking coffee. It was a good time where the group of us were able to learn more about each other and just become closer. It was a well-deserved time of relaxation after a long week in the desert.

            In the evening, Dr. Lenk came to JUC to have Shabbat diner with us. It was such an amazing opportunity to share in a Shabbat meal with Dr. Lenk and to learn about the customs, traditions and culture concerning the Shabbat, both the day and the meal.  As a group we went through the traditional songs and liturgy of meal as we sat and ate together. As the meal was winding down we were able to hear more from Dr, Lenk about the Jewish culture and were able to ask her questions. It was a good time to be open with one another and it was very special to have her be so willing to share her religion and customs with us.

To the (Dead) Sea

Today it was 104 degrees, we were in the desert, and there was no shade.

            We left our hostel at Beer Sheva and headed east up into the winding mountain roads that lead up to Manasa. We arrived at the back side of Manasa, where the Roman siege ramp to the fortress on the top of the mountain was still there. Next to this ancient ramp was a 400 foot series of stairs and inclines up to the top of the mountain. When we reached the top we saw the immenseness of the fort. It was from here that we got our first clear view of the Dead Sea below us through the desert haze.  We walked around the around the site and saw the ruins of the magnificent buildings that Herod the Great built there. Herod displayed his power partly by building this great palace and fortress, equipped with swimming pool, constant supply of water, and food imported from Italy, in one of the harshest part of the desert on the edge of the Dead Sea. Truly Herod had great power in his time, and yet he was afraid of the newborn Jesus, and it is Jesus who has the true power. We walked down the snake trail winding down the cliff Manasa.

            From Manasa we headed to the shores of the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is 38% salt, which is the reason why you float in it and also the reason for the danger, swim at own risk signs around the sea. We waded into the water, and it was one of the most bizarre feeling ever.  I immediately began tipping into a horizontal position. It was so cool as we all bobbed and floated around each other. It was a few minutes after I got in, that the worst thing that could happen to someone in lounging in the Dead Sea happened to me. Slowly and yet unstoppable, a drop of water rolled down my forehead and into my eye. It started to burn instantly. I closed my eyes and instantly, before I could realize that it was a bad idea, I wiped my eyes with my hand. I could feel the water collecting around my eye, and for some reason, I tried to open my eyes just for a moment. More water rushed in. At this point, both of my eyes were burning, and I could not open them at all. One of my friends pushed towards shore until I was able to crawl out of the water. I walked towards some of the group members, following their voice, collapsed on the ground in front of them, and they poured water over my eyes. After nearly a full bottle of water, I was able to open my eyes and see clearly. So at this point, I naturally went back into the water.

            Following a grilled lunch on the shores of the Dead Sea, we crossed the street to En Gedi, a natural spring and waterfall system in the mountains. As I walked through the canyon, I reflected upon the words of Psalm 42, which most likely was written with a place like this in mind. I hiked up the stream until I found a small, secluded pool near a small waterfall. I was able to fully submerge myself and lay down with my head near the waterfall. As the water passed over me to continue on its path down the waterfall, verse seven of Psalm 42 came to mind, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of the waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” After some time in this pool, reflecting and escaping the heat, I started walking up the side of the mountain, on an old trail that had been almost completely covered by rocks. As I sat up there at the base of a cliff, I continued my reflection of this Psalm. As I sat there hearing the waterfalls crash in the distance, the words really spoke to me. In a lot of ways the past few months have been difficult and challenging, mainly in terms of my health and my future career.  As I read and reread this Psalm, the words of verse five, and eleven spoke to me. “Why my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” It was powerful to me to see that the psalmist was feeling what I was feeling; this feeling of hopelessness that has been weighing on his soul. To see that even though the psalmist is so afflicted, he puts his hope in God even though he has seemed to have lost hope. Despite his pain, he still praises God. I don’t really know what it would look like to put my hope in God, and it’s hard to do in this kind of situation. But as I was reflecting, this is what I wanted to do; I still wanted to be able to praise God through my afflictions. I think that this will only happen as I learn to put my trust in God, which I think will take time.

            We left the springs and headed to Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  It was fascinating to walk around and see the caves in the cliff face where the scrolls were found. To see this part of Biblical history and be so close to such a great discovery, was so interesting.

            Tonight we returned to Jerusalem and to JUC; it felt like returning home after a vacation. It is good to be back here and have some time to relax and decompress before we continue our adventures tomorrow.

Going to the Super Bowl

We left the hostel early in the morning and were blessed with cloud cover and cool winds for most of the morning.  Our first stop of the day was Tel Beer-Sheva, This was the land that Abraham would have called home. There has been no archeological evidence of Abraham living here, although we would not expect there to be, given the Bedouin lifestyle of Abraham.  On the top of the Tel, hill, were the ruins of a later Israelite town. This was an impressive, planned town, all the way out in the Negev. It was really interesting to think about the economic and military benefits that Israel would gain y controlling a few key cities here in the Negev. It was really interesting to see how our thought and principles corresponds to the accounts we get in first and second Kings. Again the stories from the Old Testament became to come more alive.

            We moved to another settlement in the Negev, Arod. Like Tel Beer-Sheva, Arod was another city controlled by Israel, under the rule of Solomon, in order to secure economic prosperity and military advantages. Here archaeologists found a Yahwistic temple, resembling the temple in Jerusalem. However, in this temple, in the Holies of Holy, there were two stones and two incense altar, indicating the worship of two gods. There are a few theories of two why this is, it represents God and his female partner or the different aspects of God, but the question of why still remains. This archeological evidence shows that one should not reconstruct the ancient way of life from what the Torah says, the ideal way, but rather by what the prophets are saying, which is realistic.

            We went farther into the Negev, and ended up at the bottom of the Zin valley; we were at the bottom of a canyon made of white, chalky rock, and water and trees lining the bottom of the canyon.  Our goal was to hike to the top of the canyon, to the cliffs above us. This canyon was in what in Biblical times would have been considered the wilderness; this was a close as we were going to get to Moses’ wanderings in the wilderness. We walked along the bottom of the valley for a ways, until we reached a waterfall, where a steps were carved into the rock sides of the canyon. From this point, where continued up inclined trails, carved steps and vertical ladders on the edges of cliff until we reached the top of the valley. It was amazing to look down and still see the beauty of God’s creation in this hot, dry, dusty, wilderness of the Negev.

            Avdat was the next stop. Here we saw how the people who had lived here had masterfully used what little resources they had, about four inches of rain, and turned the area into a great, local agricultural location. Avdat actually has the largest wine press Israel. Looking over the land here, it was clear to see that the land of Judah was indeed a promise land. Although the land of Judah is still hard to live in, the Lord provided enough, and He cared for his people.

            Lastly we took the team to the Super Bowl, a massive erosion crater, eight by twenty five miles in length and over a thousand feet deep. Will sitting on the edge of the crater, we reflexed on Psalm 90; about the everlasting God that was “born before the mountains” (verse 2) that rose on the far side of the crater. The Psalm describes the eternity of God and our own fleetingness and short presence here on earth. The Psalmist says, “that our days may come… yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow” (verse 10) compared to God’s eternity. Yet even through our sorrow we are to, “sing for joy and be glad all of our day,” (verse 14) because of God’s unfailing love for us. I really needed to hear this and reflect on this. We will go through hardship and suffering, but none of that compares to the unbelievable joy that we have in the fact the eternal God loves us eternally!

Into the Negev

Today, we left our comfortable spot in city we have come to know over the past week and a half, and headed south. We left the city on one of the old routes through the Sorek Valley. We stopped mid-way through the valley at one of the popular trail heads in the area. We were able to meet up with the Israel Trail, with stretches across the entire country, over three hundred miles. We only hiked the trail for twenty minutes or so until we came upon caves and the remains of ancient houses and springs. We sat there an imagined life here in ancient times; this was the good life in the times of ancient Israel, where every house had its “own vine and fig tree.” As we sat in the shade and looked at the verses in the Bible that talked about vines and prosperity. It was a great experience to sit in peace, looking around the valley, and seeing how God provided for His people.

            We continued down the Sorek Valley into the Shephelah, the foothills in between the coastal plains and the hill country of Judah. Our first stop was at Beth-Shamesh, a hill that overlooked the end of the Sorek Valley. It was in this region that the story of Samson took place. It was so cool to read through the story and from on top of this hill and turn our gaze to different parts of the valley as the location changed. We then headed south to Azeka, a hill in the Elah Valley. It was in this location where the story of David and Goliath took place. Here again we read the Biblical narrative and looked out across the valley and were able to see the different locations where the story took place. Visiting these sites allowed me to see these stories more as historical events, and less and story; being able to see where and how these events took place, brought the story to life. These stories gained a 3-d perspective, and lost the fairy tale aspects.

            We then moved to the important port city of Askalon. Here we meet up with Wheaton professor and archaeologist Dr. Masters, who has been excavating in the city since 1992. Dr. Masters took us around the city, explaining its many layers of history that spanned over three thousand years. We saw mud brick walls incorporated in the sand dune wall, that was originally built by the Canaanites and was used by later civilizations that settled there. We saw an excavated Persian market place that Dr. Masters soon had plans to dig under, in order to find Philistine remains. We also saw a Roman theater; the city of Askalon has a long history of many different civilization. This city was right on the coast, this was my first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. It felt like I was back home. Up back a little from the coast was more of a desert climate but as you got close to the beach, the cool breezes hit.  Even a lot of the plants were the same. The water was the so clear and so blue, and MUCH warmer than the water back home in the Pacific. As soon as we were done with the lecture at the site, all of ran to the sea and jumped right in. This was a much needed resting moment after such a long day in the hot, desert sun. We all just swam, relaxed, and played Frisbee. It was amazing. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in water and then headed to Beersheba, where will be staying in a hostel for the next two nights. It has been a full day and will be followed by a few more very full days, but they have been good days.

The Blessing

So today I got blessed by the Pope. But that happened later in the day.

            After our test in the morning, we had individual, free educational time, where we got to explore the city, and see things that had interested us in more detail. A group of us decided to walk the ramparts of the old city walls. It was so cool to walk around the old city, to see the on my left the old city, and on my right, through the notches in the wall, the new city. The juxtaposition of ancient and modern, reverent and industrial was very interesting to see from high above the city. “May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you,’” Psalm 122:7-8.

            Later in the afternoon, a group of friends and I went down to a park in the Hinnom Valley near JUC. As we walked down the hill and tried to cross the street, we were stopped by a few armed policemen. They didn’t give an explanation, but shortly after we were stopped, we heard sirens and the rumble of cars. Emily said to us, “guys I think you should take out your cameras, right now!” We did, and seconds later a few motorcycles and a long string of official looking cars drove by. The sixth car, as it rounded the corner we were standing on, rolled down its rear window on our side. In the back seat we had a clear view of Pope Francis! He leaned over and waved at us and gave a blessing as he drove by. It all happened so fast, there were only three of us and an Israeli family. As we crossed the street on of the officers, leaned over and said to us, “now you can go back and tell all your friends you’ve seen the Pope.

            We walked down into the park and laid out on the grass, in the sun, and caught up on some reading. As we were sitting there, a shepherd came up from the southern end of the park, with his flock of forty sheep. The sheep roamed all over the park grazing around the park for ten minutes or so, until the shepherd called them back to him and took them on one of the paths out of the park.  It was so bizarre to see sheep have complete rain of the public park we were in, grazing around us as we were reading.

            Later in the evening, group of us went into the old city and wandered around the markets, and found a small little hole in the wall and got some pita and falafel. We eventually wandered back to the Jappa gate were we ran into a parade for the patriarch of Lebanon; there were about thirty bagpipers and a few drummers; the noise echoed off the walls of the old city, it was very impressive.  We ended the night by exploring the new city and went into a few bakeries and gelato shops. It was a good day to relax and explore and learn the city.

The Sabbath

Today was the Sabbath, a time to rest. We didn’t have any plans together as a group until after lunch, so we had the morning to ourselves, to experience the Sabbath in the way we needed to. I got up early and went into the old city with a group of students and to go to the Holy Sepulcher.  The city had an eerie feeling to it; it was still early in the morning, but the streets were deserted. We entered near the Jaffa gate and the streets were uncharacteristically clear. Most of the streets were blockaded with police and security personnel wandering about. It was very clear that this was for the Pope’s visit to the city.

It was still early enough, that we were able to make it the Holy Sepulcher without a problem and without running into many closed streets. We got into the church a little before seven. This morning the Greek Orthodox Church would be the church that was holding the service. As we entered the church, there were already tourists lining up to enter the sight of the empty tomb. The priests were setting the sanctuary up for the service, but we were soon allowed to enter, as the tourists still waited in line. We stood along the side of the sanctuary and in the middle of the room, chairs were set up in a U-shape, with two ornate chairs at the bottom of the U.  Soon the procession of priest and other clergy began to enter in procession. It was around this time that I noticed all the men who looked like private security guards and the photographers with professional level equipment. At the end of the procession came a man dressed in ornate robes, the ends of which were being cared, and he carried a scepter. As it turns out this was the Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church. As soon as he entered the room, the cameras went off, and continued to go on for the entire time he was there. Theophilos III the Patriarch of Jerusalem was also present. It was interesting to be in small, worship setting with these important men in the church. The service was three hours long, all in Greek, and it was mostly done in chants. Since I couldn’t understand what was being said, I looked around and marveled at the beauty of the church, the icon of Jesus on the dome above, the beautiful painting around the room, and all the ornately decorated pieces. It was beautiful to see how this completely foreign style of worship , and yet they were still worshiping the same God; it was comforting to see that once the details were stripped back, we were all there for the same purpose, worshiping God. We talked about this a little bit during our class session in the afternoon, which is when the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch would meet at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Pope and the Patriarch are meeting not to bring the church back together but are meeting as an expression that the unity in the church already exist; the church is already one church.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” Ephesians 4:4-6.

The unity of the church has been on my mind a lot this past week. Walking around Jerusalem, you can see the division between religions so clearly, and you can see the divisions within the religion as well. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has six different churches that claim a stake in the church. Even back home in the United States, the division between the different denominations is so prevalent, especially at a Christian school, in a city with the most churches per capita in the nation. Both here and back in Wheaton it easy to become cynical about unity of the church. However, all branches of the church are exactly that, branches, with the same trunk and the same roots. There is only one church, however through our brokenness it is often hard to see it as unified. Tonight we had a worship service with the whole team. We closed with a song that took its lyrics from the verse in Ephesians. As we were singing and worshiping in an upper room at JUC, bells from churches throughout the city of Jerusalem were ringing, people were going to church, back in Wheaton, and all over the world people were worshiping God. That is a unified church. All differences a side, in that moment, and countless more moments, the church came together to fulfill its purpose of giving praise and thanks to God!

Wandering in the Wilderness

“Why sit in the shade, when we could stand in the sun.” It seemed as though this was the motto of the day.

            We left Jerusalem early in the morning and entered into the wilderness; the edge of the land flowing with milk and honey. We headed north east out of the city along the assent of Adummim towards Jericho. As we were driving we passed the Good Samaritan Hotel. The story of the Good Samaritan was exactly that a story, yet there is still a place, where the story took place, that remembers the story.  That is one thing that I have seen in this country, sometimes memory and tradition is more important than fact.  The locations of holy sites around the city are placed where they are more often than not because of church memory and tradition. It is unlikely due to the setup of Jerusalem at the time of David, that he would be buried on the western hill, and yet that is where tradition has put his tomb.

            We parked out bus off the main highway through the hills and walked up the old, dirt, mountain road that goes from Jerusalem to Jericho. This was the road of ancient times, the road that Jesus would have walked as He headed towards Jerusalem. We walked up to the top of the one of the hills and sat in silence. It was a beautiful kind of silence, the kind that was occasionally interrupted by the chirping of a birds echoing through the canyons, and the rush of the east wind blowing. As we looked over the hills we were told to reflect on the words from Deuteronomy, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye” Deuteronomy 32:10.  Looking into the desert, you felt small and vulnerable, exposed to the elements. You need God’s care in this place; wandering here on my own strength is unfathomable to me. This is the promise land and God has promised to take care of His people here. The last line of the verse, can be translated as guarding him as the little man of his eye. As we sat upon the hill in the wilderness, we looked into each other’s eyes, and could see our reflection of ourselves in the eyes the other person. Reading it with this translation, it was powerful to think that as God looks into my eyes, He can see His own reflection. Before we left the hilltop, we read, “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand” Psalm 139:17-18. Looking out and seeing the desert hills go on in every direction, the true weight of this verse him; God’s love and care for us is greater than the amount of sand and rocks on the expanse of wasteland in front of me.

            We headed down the hill, and walked down past St. George’s monastery, a monastery that had been in the desert for centuries. The dedication of these monks is so impressive to me, I don’t think that I could give up everything and live in solitude with God in the desert.  We continued down the ancient road, into Palestinian territory and into the oasis of Jericho. It is always strange to cross these boarders and see the signs posted.  Jericho is an oasis and as we walked around the city were able to see the old ruins from the time of Herod and all the way up to 10,000 years ago. It was amazing to see all of the history around the city. It was very interesting to learn that there has not been any archeological evidence to support or to deny the presence of Biblical events in Jericho.

            We drove to the north west of the city to the Benjamin Plateau, and looked over the land that was so strategic to the military episodes of the different kingdoms. It was so interesting to be able to visualize the different battles found in the Bible and to see how history has repeated itself over and over again, from the Babylonians, to crusaders, to the British, to the Israelis. It was pretty powerful to look over this land that has been so important in military exploits and see the separation wall tearing through the land. We also went do to Gezer, and we were able to see its geographical importance due to its proximity to trade routes.

            Today we visited the backdoor to Jerusalem, Jericho, through the wilderness and the front door to Jerusalem, Gezer, through the coastal economic centers. It was interesting to gain a fuller knowledge of the land surrounding Jerusalem and through that get a better understanding of how the city functioned.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Today we stepped out of the comfort of Jerusalem the city that we have come to love and wandered into the wilderness.  We started the morning by traveling up the Mount of Olives. From the top of the mountain, we could see, to the west, the city of Jerusalem nestled and protected in the valleys surround by mountains. To the east we could see the wilderness beginning, sharply and distinctly changed on the other side of the mountain as the rock composition changed. As we sat on the top overlooking the city, we discussed Psalm 48, and how the author of the psalm really beautifully used the geography of the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding cities to show God’s greatness. This psalm highlighted again the connection between God, the city, and this psalm highlighted again the connection between God, the city, and His people.  As we descended down the mountain we were reminded of the Jesus’ great dissent into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Along the way we stopped at the Dominus Flevit Church, a small church on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, that is put there in remembrance of Jesus weeping as He looked upon the city of Jerusalem. It was interesting to be here and to gaze upon the city for myself, and to think of what Jesus had done in the city.

            We then went down to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of Nations. The garden was beautiful, the olive trees twisted around the garden intermingling with beautiful flowers.  As I walked around the garden all that I could of was Mathew 26:39. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” This last sentence went through my mind over and over. These words of Jesus resonated through me in this place where they were spoken. In this moment I felt my worries about my future, my health, the stress of school be lifted and a calm came over me. I walked the path around the garden with these words in my mind, a peace in my heart, and a great burden lifted off me.

            We then got in our bus and left the city for the first time since we got there and headed south into the wilderness to Herod the Great’s tomb at Hreodium. Herodium is a mountain built for Herod to the south in the wilderness, large enough that form the top, you could see both Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Here at Herodium we could also the extravagance of Herod. The ruins of this palace and grounds could still be seen as we walked around this mountain that contained the tomb of Herod. From the top of the mountain, you could see the clear transition from wilderness and the habitable land. It was here that we discussed Psalms 23. Looking out over the wilderness where the shepherds would take their flock, we could see the sparse land, with little grass and water for the flock. We could see that God provides completely for His people; He will provide for the shepherds in the wilderness and his people elsewhere.

            From there, we traveled to Bethlehem, which meant that we needed to travel through Palestine.  I was an interesting experience, really the only thing that was noticeable was a sign on the boarder saying that it was prohibited for Israelis to enter into Palestine territory. I do not know enough about the politics and situations of these lands, so I don’t think that I can really make any comments besides these pure observations that I saw.

            The whole town of Bethlehem was preparing for the Pope’s arrival to the Holy Lands; buildings were being restored and cleaned and a stage was being set up in the square. We went to the Church of the Nativity the site believed to be where Jesus was born. I had many conflicting emotions in this place, that I haven’t fully worked through.  On the one hand, I wanted to be reverent, reflecting and prayerful as I entered into this holy place that is important to my religion. One the other hand, it all felt so forced, mechanical, cheap. A line was set up running along the side of the church. After waiting for thirty minutes through the icon filled rooms, we reached the room under the altar that was the site of Jesus’ birth. We were allowed to go up to the site, two by two, and allowed to look at it for about three seconds before we were rushed away. I didn’t know how to process it. I wanted to have a mindset devoted to God, in prayerful reflection, but the whole time I felt as though  I was waiting in line for the next tourist attraction, and those in charge were just interested in moving as many people through the area. I felt as though my actions and thought in the Church of the Nativity did not accurately reflect the holiness of the place, but more accurately reflected a tourist attraction, just one more thing to check off a list of accomplishments.  As I travel through this land, I have to decide if I want to be a tourist or a pilgrim. Everything in our society is saying be the tourist, check off the things to do and see, get to see everything. But I hope and pray that I can have the attitude of a pilgrim for the rest of this journey; the attitude of one coming to the place for a purpose, to learn and to grow from the experience. This is what I hope for myself and for all that come to this land especially.

Too many thoughts, too much information

This morning started with some much needed sleep and a little later start to the day. I walked into the new city and found a coffee shop with a view, sat down, and started reading. It was a great way to start the day, especially after the last few days.

            We left for the Israel museum around mid-morning.  As we drove to the museum, we went past the main government and parliament building of Israel. On the street leading up to this building the Israeli as well as the Vatican Flags were flying; this was in honor of the Pope’s upcoming visit to Jerusalem. We first went to the full model of the Old City of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD. It was so amazing to see how the all the places we had seen in the past few days connected to each other and connected to the ancient city of Jerusalem. It was really amazing to put everything in perspective; to put myself in the ancient city with the memories I have from the past few days.  I was able to get a greater grasp on the city and ability to relate the city to scripture involving the city is becoming greater.

            The Israel Museum is also the home to the Dead Sea Scrolls.  I have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I had never thought that I would see them. I was and interesting feeling to walk around the dark circular room that housed the scroll and look at some of the oldest written recordings of Biblical texts. It was a very weird meeting of past and present. This connection to the past was furthered as we looked through the museums extensive archeological section. What struck me the most was the museums explanation of Jesus in the section of artifacts from His time. The description that this public institution gave of Jesus was one of a teacher in a historical time period that naturally lent itself the rise of His teaching. It was so strange to see the life of Jesus as this, reduced to product of historical conditions. This was a public instate, not religious so it makes since that this would be the portrayal,  but especially since these events took place here, to me it just seemed so out of place to reduce Jesus to a historical figure here in Jerusalem.

            We then traveled across town to Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum. We were lead on a tour through the museum, and had to move along rather quickly to accommodate other groups and an upcoming visit from the Pope.  I have been to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. but here at Yad Vashem, the focus was more on the Jewish people and some of their return to this land. I almost wish that we had had the time to go through the museum at our pace, I felt as though I was rushed through some sections and really could not process everything. There was way too much for me to fully process and I still need time to think about. However, the things that struck me the most, was the at the end of the museum was the hall of names, where a library of over three million names of the victims of the Holocaust around the walls, on the ceiling pictures of a a couple dozen victims, and in the middle of a floor, a pit to the bedrock of Jerusalem, with a pit of water in it.  As you looked into the pit the faces in the pictures were reflected in the water. The water symbolized life that could happen even through death. At the end of the museum, there was a memorial to the child victims. You entered a dark room where four candles were reflected many times in mirror all around the room, symbolizing the descendants of Abraham that number more than the stars in the sky. As you walked through the room the names of the child victims, their age and hometown were read over a speaker. This was an unbelievable moving. It is hard to think of such terrible things happening to children and there is really nothing you can do to make the situation better. But I think that this was one of the best ways to acknowledge what had happened and honor the lives that were lost.

            After going through the museum, we were able to talk to a Jewish woman, Rachel, who had parents who were Holocaust survivors. She told a bit of her story and her parent’s story, and the story of the response of this land to the events of the Holocaust. It was interesting to hear her thoughts on these events, and to hear some of the different responses the Jewish community has had. She said that over the years the Jewish and Israeli communities have shifted from honoring the Jews who resisted the Nazis, to honoring and remembering the people and their stories.

            As we walked back to campus, there was a protest going on right next to our campus, along the wall of the old city. In the Pope’s upcoming visit to Jerusalem, he will be holding mass in the room where the last supper was held. However, this is also the remember location of the tomb of David. At least part of the Jewish community is unhappy with mass being held in this holy location. It will be interesting to see how the events play out, especially since the David’s tomb is only a three minute walk from our campus.

Milk and Honey

Today we needed to make up class, so that’s what we did, all day. Staring at eight and ending at five, Dr. Wright lectured on the historical geography and its importance in our understanding of the area and our understanding of the Bible. The geography of the Jerusalem and the surrounding areas have really had an impact on the history of the city and the events recorded in the Bible. The topography of the hills and valleys surrounding the city has shaped how the city was built and defended itself. The soil composition in the area and the city’s location relative to trade routes and other cities, have really affected the city’s livelihood throughout history. It was fascinating to hear this from a man who truly knows the information, who loves this city and loves God.

            “A land flowing with milk and honey” Deuteronomy 11:9. When most of us think of this phase, we think of abundance.  But is this really the case. The Promise Land of Judah that the Lord provided to his people is the hardest is the hardest land to live in in the area.  It farther from trade, has less natural protection, and has worse soil, all in all a hard place to live. And yet this is the land the Lord has provided, the land of milk and honey. Maybe the promise land is not a land of abundance, but a land in which the Lord will provide. The Lord has put his people in this land, knowing that there will be hardships in their future, but He promise to be faithful and to provide; the land will have its milk and honey.

            After class, most of us went into the new city for dinner. We were able to get shwarma and pita, and eat it in a town square. We then went out to a pastry shop and between the whole  group of use got one of everything and tried a little bit of everything.  We strolled back to campus through the side streets of the city. It is really amazing how close all of us have become to each other in just a few days. I only really knew one other person on this program before it started ad now we have all become close to each other. The professor too, have come close to us. I guess that is just what happens when you spend every long, hot minute with a group of people.

            After we came back to campus we had our first worship together as a group. It was clear in this moment that we were here to worship God first, and be students second. We are worshiping God through all that we learn on this program, through the history of the sites and details of His word, but His worship is why we are here. It was such a great remaindered, and I hope that I can keep worship in the forefront of my mind.

How would I describe my second full day here in Jerusalem, overwhelming. It was a long day we woke up at 5:50 in order eat a hearty breakfast and leave JUC just before seven. We left as the morning was still cool, and headed toward the old city. We entered the city near the dung gate, near the temple mount.  The plan for the morning was to enter the temple mount area and see the Dome of the Rock and the other structures on top of the mount. In order for us to enter the area we had to pass through a security checkpoint run by the Israeli government. Right above the metal detector, was a sign warning Jews from a head Rabbi that it was forbidden to enter the temple mount area because it was too holy of a site. It was with this in mind that I handed my bag to the guard, walked through the metal detector, and walked up the walkway, lined with riot shields, which overlooked the Western Wall. The juxtaposition between the Holy and human violence and aggression, made me think of how we as fallen people really need God in our live, we are so broken. This brokenness of man contrasted with the awesomeness of God was again so vivid in my mind as I stood on the Temple mount, looked around at the beautiful landscaping, architecture, and the Dome of the Rock, the believed site of the Holy of Holies. And as I surveyed this amazing things on the 35 acre grounds I could not go a minute without seeing a Muslim guard armed with a machine gun.  Even with these feeling I was able to sense the God’s presence as I walked around; I felt as though I could sense the thousands of years of reverence in this pace. This was once the Temple of the Lord, where His name dwelled. Even though there is now a mosque on this spot, I could still feel this presence.

            We headed down the temple mount, crossing through a other security checkpoint, and proceeded to the Western Wall, formally known as the Wailing Wall. You could hear these orthodox Jews wailing from far away. The sadness of these Jews was so evident, it was hard to watch, but at the same time it was hard to look away. It is so amazing to see the affect a place has to a whole group.

            We walked around the base of the Temple Mount and observed how incredible and huge and what an architectural feat it was. We went to the south entrance of the Temple, the common entrance in ancient times and sat on the excavated steps. This was amazing, I could really picture the historical figures, Jesus and the apostles, walking these steps and entering the gate just to our right.

            We then followed the Via Dolorosa, the supposed path Christ took while carrying the cross, to St. Ann’s Church. This church is dedicated to the health of Jesus’ grandmother, Ann. The acoustics in this church are amazing, said to be the best in the city, with seven second echoes. As we approached the church, a few tourist, obviously in a choir somewhere, where singing. The sound of their hymn and praise just came into earshot as the call to prayer ended on the sound system. I immediately had shivers run down spine. The Pool of Bethesda, a pool of healing where Jesus healed a blind man was there on the grounds. It was so unbelievable to discuss this story as we walked around the bottom of the pool ruins.

            After a short break from the sun, we returned into the field and walked from JUC on the Western Hill to the City of David on the Eastern Hill. “I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth” Psalm 121:1-2. These words were written there. I lifted my eyes up to those very mountains. And still, thousands of years later God is still providing with his help. This verse became so real to me, as I stood in the City of David, and turned my gaze up to the mountains. This verse had already been on my mind, after my girlfriend had told me to read it as I was struggling with my decision to leave the crew team this past season; it had been comforting to her in times of injury and frustration. During the semester I had read over this psalm a few times and had found the words beautiful and comforting, but it was not until the moment that I was actually there, that the full beauty hit me. As you stand in the city and look up you see the mountains to the West and to the East surrounding you, wrapped so close, and as you look in front of you see the Temple Mount rise above you. In this moment you feel the security of the mountains that God has put there for you.  The Temple Mount rising above you makes it so clear that God is there, God will protect you, you can find your strength in Him. Looking up to the Temple Mount high above me, allowed me to feel God’s strength and presence.

            In the City of David we saw ruins of what was thought to be the palace of David. We also walked down through the ancient water system and through the tunnel of Hezekiah where water still rushes through. This tunnel ended near the nearly excavated pool of Silom, another pool of healing that was extravagant back in Jesus’ day.  I could really see the beauty and awesomeness in the architecture of ancient Jerusalem today as we saw the original foundations of the Temple and the Pool of Silom. After we walked through the water Dr. Wright told us of the Jewish tradition of a Mitzvah, a cleansing ritual bath in living water. This water was living water, it was coming from a spring, and we walked for a fifth of a mile in it. As we walked out of the tunnel, a Jewish man was taking a Mitzvah in this water. To see the connection of historical event, Hezekiah’s tunnel, and historical traditions, the Mitzvah, and this continuation of the these traditions today, was just so amazing. This connection between past and present can really be seen all over the city, and it is just amazing to see it at every turn, and it keeps astounding me. I will need more time to think about what it means and how to process it.

                                                              

The First Day

“Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together” Psalm 122:3. Today this verse became so real to me.  We started with a morning filled with a lectures by Drs. Right, Cohick, and Kalantzis. We got the tor of the JUC campus, and it was amazing to see how it was really built right into the mountain, mount Zion.  There is a Presbyterian cemetery at one end of campus with a gate on it.  The gate was open. When a few of us went through we were rewarded with a beautiful cemetery and a breathtaking view of the valley below. Starting after lunch we began our journey into the old city of Jerusalem.  We set out on foot from JUC and began to walk up mount Zion. After maybe five minutes of walking, probably less, we stopped under the shade of a large Jerusalem pine on the property of the Greek Orthodox seminary just up the mountain from JUC. It was here that Dr. Right stopped us and used the pines around us as an analogy of the people living in this area. While the trees have grown up far apart from each other, due to bending from the wind, the roots of the trees have to be so large and expanding, to hold up such large trees in harsh conditions, that there must be a deep connection between the roots of all these trees. He said that this was similar to the Christians, Jews, and Muslims living in Jerusalem. These peoples has grown up apart from one another, may even wish that another was not there, but each group is deep connected to the city and to each other, and the repercussions of removing one group may be more drastic than one would think. It was with this idea of connectedness and deep roots that we left the shade of the Jerusalem pines that we continued up to the top of Mount Zion.

            We climbed to the roof of a building, and stood at on the highest elevation of Mount Zion and a clear view to the East. It was from here that I first saw the Dome of the Rock, the Mount of Olives, and the Separation Barrier. It was unsettling to say the least to see that warm, golden splendor of the dome and to turn your head slightly and see the cold, grey of the wall piercing through the “wilderness.” It was hard to process and see these Holy places from every diction on this rooftop and then in the distance see this wall associated with so much pain, suffering, and hatred. As I turned and walk down off of the roof, my back to the Old City I face the wall, and was very sobered by the extent of the stories of this land.

            This roof that we had been standing on, was none other than the roof of the building that the supposedly held the Last Supper and also David’s tomb.  When we first entered, Dr. Right asked us to look around and just observe what was in this place. Looking around the room you could see Christian, Jewish, and Muslim influence. Form Byzantine arches to words from the Quran written in the stain glass windows. To determine the location of these holy sites, one must turn to the biblical evidence, other written sources, and archeology. This place may not have been the site of the last supper and most likely was not the location of David’s tomb, but tradition has claimed it to be so.

            We walked through the Zion gate of the old city, which is riddled with bullet holes from the War of Independence, and entered into the Jewish Quarter of the old city. It was here that I could feel the tightness of the city; people were everywhere, buildings were packed as tightly as possible, streets were narrow, and through it all the occasional vehicle would honk its way through.  From this point on, there was a constant barrage of sights and sounds all foreign to, all with its own story to tell.  We saw the excavated, ancient Roman road that ran through the city and it was interesting to see that today’s main road was on the same location, just about 15 feet higher.

            The church of the Holy Sepulcher. I was filled completely with conflicting emotions, reverence for the events that are believed to taken pace there and shame at the way humans have handled it. The place where Jesus was crucified and died in located across the building from the tomb where Jesus was resurrected and conquered death.  As I was walking through this place, I felt so overwhelmed and overcome that I began to pray. I then proceed to learn that six different churches have claims to parts of this church. The division of the church and the arguments and difference between the different denominations are so prevalent in Jerusalem and even in this holy place, the Church of the Hoy Sepulcher. It is just so disheartening to see the extent of this division so prominently, especially here. But, I guess that this imperfection and failure is in our nature as humans, even in this holy city of Jerusalem. I suppose that these imperfections, made the city more real to me, and made me realize that these holy sites are in a human city, maintained by humans, by its nature there will be imperfections. The Holy City is not.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

 

Take off 5-17

Three words, “fully reclining chair.” Here are a few more words, “newest season of Sherlock” on the personal TV, and “five page paper,” due Monday, that I need to read I book for that I haven’t started.  Needless to say my business class flight from Chicago, IL, USA to Frankfort, Germany was eventful. And so begins my two and a half month adventure to the Holy Lands and to Europe. As I write this laying down on my chair/bed in the plane, I am still in disbelief that I am here.

The past few weeks, and even the past semester, has been a whirl wind. I finished up my Junior year at Wheaton College in one of the coldest winters in Chicago’s history.  Hearing updates on the weather back in California from family and friends was meet with jealousy and disbelief, as I was trying to avoid frostbite running to class. This semester was filled with countless hours studying for my chemistry intensive course load. But as some of you know, this semester has been hard on me besides course work and the terrible Chicago weather. Since December I have been struggling with various illnesses and injuries, some of which are still lingering. And because of these injuries, I had to quit the Crew team this last season. It is with these struggles of the last semester and the rush of this past week (Wheaton’s graduation, saying goodbye to friends and my girlfriend, planning out my backpacking trip in Europe, and packing for two and a half months in two bags) that I find myself flying to Germany and then onto Israel. 

Here is the overview of my travels. For the next six weeks I will be studying with the Wheaton in the Holy Lands program. We will spend the first three weeks in Jerusalem and the areas around it while studying at Jerusalem University College (JUC). The next three weeks we will be studying in Greece, Turkey and Italy. This program will end at the end of June in Rome, and at this point I will meet of with my good friend Michael, and we will travel around Europe on the Eurorail, flying home to Santa Barbara from Malaga Spain.

About half of the students and both professors of my program are on my flight from Chicago to Frankfort to Tel Aviv, and we will be meeting the rest of our group once we land in Israel.

It is slowly starting to sink in that this is actually happening.  As I have been doing the pre-course work for this program, I am realizing how little I know and how much information I will be hit with in the next six weeks. I cannot even begin to imagine how enriching, educational, spiritually fulfilling, exhausting, exciting and exceptional these next few weeks will be. It is by God’s strength and grace alone that I am here (I was medically cleared for this only a week ago) and again it will be through God’s strength and grace that these next few weeks will transform me.