When last we left the pilgrimage we were visiting the tomb of Jesus. Today we will viist the reported site of the Garden tomb and have a worship service in the Garden. Then we will visit a Holocust memorial. Our next objective will be to return to the hotel clean up and go to the airport in Tel Aviv.
So my next post will be from the U.S. most likely.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
To the top of the edge
Today was an optional tour day. You could visit Masada or wander the city on your own. I and 15 of my bus mates traveled to Masada. Masada is by Jericho and served as a palace for King Herod. Apparently Herod collected palaces like l collect rocks. This is about the fourth one we have heard of on this tour. This was his outpost, and his play palace. It is literally at the top of the Wilderness of Judea and to climb up today takes about one hour. We voted that is exactly how we would have our youth groups climb to the top of Masada. We took the cable car. When the Jewish revolt against the Romans began in 68 CE (A.D.) Herod sort of abandoned Masada and Jewish Zealots and refugees from the fighting came there. It ended up being the last strong hold of the rebels.
Herod began a systematic response to the Zealots by building Roman encampments, a wall and then a ramp to access the wooden gate on the south face of the wall. This took about two years. When they ultimately breeched the gate and entered the fortress on the next morning, they found that all the Zealots had committed suicide rather than become slaves in the Roman Empire. Hence, in their defeat they claimed victory and Masada has become a rallying point for Israeli’s. It was quite a site to see the elaborate structures that remain in place. One of the things the archeologists have done is paint a black line across structures to depict the difference between what was of the Herodian era and what was reconstruction. Masada clearly shows the lengths that the Roman engineering could go, and the power of a Zealoted people to face their adversity.
Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, which is yet another marvel. This body of water is the lowest place on the planet, more than 1300 feet below sea level, and has a salt percentage between 30 – 33 percent. We went to a public beach so a few could float in the water. I choose not to float, but I did kick off my shoes and wade in the water. It had an oily feel to it, but you could definitely feel a difference on your skin. Along the coast, where the turquoise colored water lapped, there was this rim of big salt crystals. It took a while to wash the mud off my feet, which is actually one of the many rules that you have to follow when bathing in the Dead Sea.
Herod began a systematic response to the Zealots by building Roman encampments, a wall and then a ramp to access the wooden gate on the south face of the wall. This took about two years. When they ultimately breeched the gate and entered the fortress on the next morning, they found that all the Zealots had committed suicide rather than become slaves in the Roman Empire. Hence, in their defeat they claimed victory and Masada has become a rallying point for Israeli’s. It was quite a site to see the elaborate structures that remain in place. One of the things the archeologists have done is paint a black line across structures to depict the difference between what was of the Herodian era and what was reconstruction. Masada clearly shows the lengths that the Roman engineering could go, and the power of a Zealoted people to face their adversity.
Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, which is yet another marvel. This body of water is the lowest place on the planet, more than 1300 feet below sea level, and has a salt percentage between 30 – 33 percent. We went to a public beach so a few could float in the water. I choose not to float, but I did kick off my shoes and wade in the water. It had an oily feel to it, but you could definitely feel a difference on your skin. Along the coast, where the turquoise colored water lapped, there was this rim of big salt crystals. It took a while to wash the mud off my feet, which is actually one of the many rules that you have to follow when bathing in the Dead Sea.
Time and history
There is that Jesus text that says to God a thousand years is as a day. That is what it feels like here in the Holy Land. Time means nothing. Our guide throws time about as if it were only a passing thought. And I don’t mean time as in “what time do you have?” No, this is time as in “Only recently in the first century” sort of time. This is a place where you have to clearly delineate between BCE (BC) and CE (AD). We visited a site thought to be the place of the Upper room and within 100 yards the place of King David’s tomb. Those two events occur thousands of years apart, but given the time of the place they seem continuous.
Part of that continuity comes from the building on top of ruins. Given the topography of the land it is much more efficient and effective to simply build on the foundation of the last building. So that we have been continually reminded we are walking several “layers” above where Jesus and the disciples would have walked. When we are at excavation sites, you can clearly see the layers in the soil. At walls, you can see where one builder simply started on the last builder’s wall, and simply piled on the stones. Even in places that are routine, lays historical ruins. The ruins of the third Jerusalem wall lay just outside of our hotel, in the easement between the buildings and the road.
Given this notion of timelessness, having knowledge of history would be helpful. And although I disdain history, I do keep up (or would that be keep back) with it. We are fortunate in that we have a social studies teacher and an archivist with us, but that hasn’t kept me from wishing that I had brought a time line with me. I always mix up my “metal eras.”
Today we will visit a place of historical significance, Masada.
Part of that continuity comes from the building on top of ruins. Given the topography of the land it is much more efficient and effective to simply build on the foundation of the last building. So that we have been continually reminded we are walking several “layers” above where Jesus and the disciples would have walked. When we are at excavation sites, you can clearly see the layers in the soil. At walls, you can see where one builder simply started on the last builder’s wall, and simply piled on the stones. Even in places that are routine, lays historical ruins. The ruins of the third Jerusalem wall lay just outside of our hotel, in the easement between the buildings and the road.
Given this notion of timelessness, having knowledge of history would be helpful. And although I disdain history, I do keep up (or would that be keep back) with it. We are fortunate in that we have a social studies teacher and an archivist with us, but that hasn’t kept me from wishing that I had brought a time line with me. I always mix up my “metal eras.”
Today we will visit a place of historical significance, Masada.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
But not to diminish
While the day was spent walking the Via Delarosa, I can’t forget how our day was bracketed. We began at the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus told the man to pick up his mat, and ended at a place where Jesus stood.
At the Pool of Bethesda is the Church of St. Anne the mother of Mary. It is a simple church, not known for its beauty, but for its simplicity and echoes. Together we sang the Lord’s Prayer led by a skillful song master, who directed us to maximize the echo. It was worshipful and haunting. I have enjoyed the singing of songs in these holy places and it brings to mind the importance of song in our learning.
In closing the day, we prayed at the Western wall, a very sacred site for the Jewish people. It is a portion of the platform wall for the temple that they can access, and they pray at the wall inserting written prayers into the crevices. Even at the bottom of the wall, there are thousands of scribbled notes creating a foundation for the prayers of others. To enter the area you have to go through security like an airport, and there are armed soldiers patrolling the area. We exited the site and walked through the archeological site to the excavation of the southern wall. Here archeologists have unearthed part of the Herodian era road as it entered the city. This small piece of road, near the teaching wall facing the Mt. Olives, would most certainly have been a place where Jesus would have walked. Who would have imagined that a slab of material no more than 4 by 4 feet would take your breath away?
This was a thin place.
At the Pool of Bethesda is the Church of St. Anne the mother of Mary. It is a simple church, not known for its beauty, but for its simplicity and echoes. Together we sang the Lord’s Prayer led by a skillful song master, who directed us to maximize the echo. It was worshipful and haunting. I have enjoyed the singing of songs in these holy places and it brings to mind the importance of song in our learning.
In closing the day, we prayed at the Western wall, a very sacred site for the Jewish people. It is a portion of the platform wall for the temple that they can access, and they pray at the wall inserting written prayers into the crevices. Even at the bottom of the wall, there are thousands of scribbled notes creating a foundation for the prayers of others. To enter the area you have to go through security like an airport, and there are armed soldiers patrolling the area. We exited the site and walked through the archeological site to the excavation of the southern wall. Here archeologists have unearthed part of the Herodian era road as it entered the city. This small piece of road, near the teaching wall facing the Mt. Olives, would most certainly have been a place where Jesus would have walked. Who would have imagined that a slab of material no more than 4 by 4 feet would take your breath away?
This was a thin place.
Via Delarosa
Today we followed the path that would have taken Jesus from condemnation to crucifixion. The places where Jesus was condemned and flogged are each marked by small chapels. From there we walked a short way to the Antonio Fortress to see the historical ruins of Herod’s fortress. This was the last place we sat down until lunch time. As we continued on the path to Calvary you couldn’t help but notice how narrow the streets would have been. Even if people were only one deep on each side it would have been difficult to get down the street. Imagine dragging a cross with you. We had to fight back vendors that pressed us on each side. Still today the road is cobbled and uneven, with us continually having to watch our step. Imagine being bare footed or even clad only in sandals. And there were very few flat bits; seemingly the road was up or down hill. It was hard physically. Emotionally it was draining.
We arrived at the Church of the Sepulchre. It covers the site of Calvary, where the body would have been washed, and the probable site of Jesus’ burial. This Church is maintained by many different Christian traditions, the Catholics and various Orthodox traditions. In keeping with the context, it is very dimly lit. Our group began by entering the worship cave for the Syrian Orthodox church within the church. Adjacent to the cave are old tombs carved into the wall. These would have been similar to the tombs that Jesus was placed into.
The steps to Calvary are marble and worn into an ellipse by the feet of millions of pilgrims. As I stood in line to kneel at the place of the cross, a nun was on a ladder dusting the lamps and relighting the candles, reminding me that this was still a worshiping church. The place where the cross would have been placed into the ground is covered by an altar, and there is no way to access it except by kneeling at the foot of the cross.
This was a thin place.
We arrived at the Church of the Sepulchre. It covers the site of Calvary, where the body would have been washed, and the probable site of Jesus’ burial. This Church is maintained by many different Christian traditions, the Catholics and various Orthodox traditions. In keeping with the context, it is very dimly lit. Our group began by entering the worship cave for the Syrian Orthodox church within the church. Adjacent to the cave are old tombs carved into the wall. These would have been similar to the tombs that Jesus was placed into.
The steps to Calvary are marble and worn into an ellipse by the feet of millions of pilgrims. As I stood in line to kneel at the place of the cross, a nun was on a ladder dusting the lamps and relighting the candles, reminding me that this was still a worshiping church. The place where the cross would have been placed into the ground is covered by an altar, and there is no way to access it except by kneeling at the foot of the cross.
This was a thin place.
Let's pause and refresh
So we are being tourists on a pilgrimage. Or we are on a pilgrimage with occasional tourist stops. Eating and shopping.
It is a special kind of touristy place, a religiously oriented tourist place. So in addition to the variety of magnets, pens, pads, t-shirts and jewelry, you also see prayer shawls, Bibles, Mezuzah, chalice, patens, and stoles. There are entire stores filled with glassware to mimic the mosaics we saw at the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. You kind find virtually every detail of Jesus life crafted out of olive wood, some authentic olive wood, some not so much. There are menorah of every size shape and description. You can’t begin shopping in the larger shops until you have undergone the mandatory introductory sales pitch. Although they vary, the basic version is “thank you for coming to our country, here is all the wonderful things we have in our shop, and you get this amount of a discount.” And unlike other countries that I have visited, the salesperson begins the haggling by immediately dropping the price of any item that you pick up. Now for all you seasoned hagglers you realize the immediate problem this presents, you don’t actually know the price of the item in your hand and they have already dropped it, so you haven’t had the chance to form a bargaining price in your head. And it turns out even shipping is negotiable. So I purchased a pretty big item got them down to 50% and had them include postage. I even saw my salesperson leave the store with the item and he told me he was mailing it now.
And every major religious site has the vendors selling items out front. They are not as numerous as the children in Cambodia or India, but they are also not nearly as young. Most are in fact probably my age. Our guide alerted us to the fact that many can be pickpockets and thieves as well as vendors. Some sell goods that are not of any quality. So the guide set up a system for alerting us, since he is on the street with a group at least twice a month. If a vendor approaches and our guide takes the item from him and shows the group, and asks the vendor how much, then that is a man that can be trusted. If the guide says oh look at the pretty stuff, but never touches it, then we should be wary.
The food. Okay, the food. Typically we are getting standard hotel fare prepared for European and Americans on pilgrimage to this country. I am not sure that I have ever had so much food that didn’t taste like anything. Seriously. Desserts which in appearance are beautiful are depressingly bland. However, the couple of meals that we have had out in the world, in little joints that appear to have dropped straight out of the French Quarter have been great. I had falafel, which was tasty, delicious even, but I think it is cornbread fried flat with some eastern spices. Today we had shwarma. Yes, I would vote again for shawrma. It’s a chicken sandwich in pita bread, with the chicken being roasted in some great spices. And while in Jericho the glass store we stopped at had a fruit and nut stand and I bought some things from there, including about a life time supply of saffron.
Of course the usual fast food restaurants are around. I have seen a couple of Kentucky Fried Chicken places, and the roman arches at McDonalds, where the drive thru is called the McDrive. Sad to see that we have imported some of our own bad habits.
And speaking of bad habits, how about my coffee addiction. So far I have found two kinds of coffee in Israel, Turkish and instant. And you can even get Turkish instant. No that's not instant you didn't stir well. The Turkish coffee is pretty good most places, you just have to remember that the fiber content increases dramatically as you approach the bottom of the cup. And when you are desperate for a caffeine fix, instant is just fine. Actually I rather enjoyed the instant in Tiberius, here in Jerusalem it is Nescafe, and fairly mundane.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Entering the City of Jerusalem
The day began by doing the down to earth tourist stuff, we rode up to the overlook and got panoramic photos of the city of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount and the Church of the Sepulchre. And I traveled by camel, not far mind you, just in a circle. Then we visited the Garden of Gethsemane and the church in the garden. In the church is the rock that Jesus may have prayed at asking that “not my will but yours.” It was closely monitored by a Franciscan monk whose job was to use the universal “shh” to all those that entered. This church was beautifully ornate, but the twisted darkness of the olive trees would have been a scary place on any evening, and it brought home the agony Christ faced.
More tourist stuff. Shopping. Our visits have been smattered with shopping. And eating. We do that on a regular basis as well.
We visited one of repudiated sites of the Upper Room, where the disciples may have last dined with Jesus. Since the church is divided, there is apparently a catholic and orthodox site for all things holy. Also, in this location was David’s tomb which is an active prayer site, and men and women had to visit it on opposite sides. From there we walked toward the old city.
And we entered the old city of Jerusalem. This is not the Jerusalem of King David, but at least the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day. We entered through the Zion gate and walked through the city past the shops both kitsch and kitchen. I saw a pomegranate the size of a small cantaloupe, as well as the second most decadent thing in the world, a package of already peeled pomegranate seeds (the first being already shelled pistachios). We visited the Syrian Orthodox church of our guide, and learned some things about that particular version of the Orthodox Church.
From there we exited the city and proceeded to Caiaphas palace where Jesus would have been taken for his hearing, and probably held over for transfer to the Romans. This site is managed by a Catholic order, and there is a beautiful little church on a cliff, with a chapel beneath it, and the prison chambers and holding cells below that. All from my bus, 40 people gathered in there as Bishop Hutchinson read the Psalm 87, as the lights dimmed and we were held in darkness, similar to how Jesus would have been held. It was a haunting moment. My heart resounded with “make me a captive Lord, and then I will be free.”
This was a thin place.
The folks who guide us
I just want to mention the two men that serve as our guide and driver and what special folks that they are. Our driver is Hattim and he is a Muslim living in Jerusalem. His prayer shawl is with him on the bus. Hattim is 6’2” and he is a very quiet man, either that or he can’t get a word in edge wise because of our guide. Hattim seems to tolerate us, but in a kind spirited way. He does offer us smiles, and nods and the occasional “you are welcome.” But mostly what Hattim gives us are his amazing driving skills. He zips around in this massive tour coach like it was a mini Cooper. The traffic in Israel is far calmer than in India or Cambodia, but the roads in the ancient cities are quite narrow, and he takes us right up to the door of those he is able to. But tonight we found new depths of admiration for Hattim. We entered this large garage complex to obtain permission to drive up to Manger Square. We dropped off the guide and Hattim accelerated through the garage and whipped the bus around, well as much as a bus whips. We were all cheering and clapping, and then he weaved in between two posts. We all agreed Hattim had mad driving skillz and he was our hero.
Our guide is Nader and he is an Arab Christian living in Jerusalem. His Christian tradition is Syrian Orthodox. Nader has been in the tourist industry for 30 years, he knows his Bible and he knows his job. In addition to English he speaks Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic. He has charts that he pulls out to show us things that need further explanation, and when the questions continually turned to location and geography he pulled out a map and taped it to the video overhead on the bus so he could show us the topography. Nader is only still when he is sitting down. I discovered the hard way you should not stand near him while he is introducing a new area, because he dances around and waves his arms. He has clichés that he uses all the time, “chop chop, shake a leg,” to keep us moving, “bingo” when we are all on the bus, and my favorite “for you to know” when it’s something we need to know. Nader calls the women “honey” regardless of their age, and calls the Bishop “syidna.” I could use Nader in my classes, because he has no bones about calling you out if you are not paying attention to his lecture, he will however, cut you some slack if you are sleeping during his lecture. In contrast to Hattim, Nader is a smaller man about 5’4”.
Together, these two men are pulling back the veil to reveal the thin places.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
All my bags are packed
Today was moving day. The white bus loaded up their belongings and moved from the Galilee region to Jerusalem. But it wasn’t a straight shot. We first headed towards Jericho, and viewed the ancient city, reputed to be the oldest in the world because they have dated recovered items back 10000 years. I am not sure my brain can even begin to comprehend that without a timeline in front of me. Our guide throws around time as if it were nothing, “only 5000 millennia ago.” Of course, after a quick rendition of Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, we wanted to know where the actual city walls were, and were only able to see a small portion of archeological digs that was working on uncovering these.
Driving through Jericho was our first glimpse of real people living in this country. And that was nice to see. I feel like for the past couple of days I have only spent time with the people on the white bus and Biblical characters.
We proceeded from Jericho to Qumran, the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, so named because Qumran sits on the edge of the Dead Sea. This was exciting for me because I have been to the big Dead Sea Scroll exhibit, so I had some additional information about the recovery and fragility of the documents. But that exhibit could not convey the remoteness or aridness of the region. The Essenes gave new (old) meaning to the word stark.
From Qumran we journeyed on thru Jerusalem and onto Bethlehem, where we ate lunch and did a little shopping. Here is the size of the world we live in, at the restaurant in Bethlehem I met a young woman who was in the youth group of my church. She is in seminary and was there with a tour group. After lunch we went to the Shepherd’s field, where the Shepherd’s would have been visited by the angel. And here I was struck by the convergence of past and present, at this ancient site was a young couple getting their wedding pictures taken, in advance of their nuptials. And while visiting Shepherds Field we actually saw a Bedouin shepherd with his flock.
Next was manger square, onto the Church of the Nativity and Church of St. Catherine. This is the first place that we have encountered other tourist groups and had to stand in a line to enter the manger site. It was inspirational to be at the manger with people speaking so many different languages, like my own little mini-pentecost. But then we cranked up the thinness by singing Away in a Manger and Silent Night in the cave. Finally, we emerged from the church into the darkness of the falling evening and all the Christmas lights were on in Manger Square, there could be no better time to visit the birthplace of Jesus.
This was a thin place.
Constant Reminders
It has been my privilege for most of this academic year to be a leader of the confirmation class at Asbury UMC. It is a smaller class than usual, and that has afforded me the luxury of getting to know each of these young people. Asbury Bossier follows confirmation model that extends through the entire school year, giving the young folk the chance to get to know one another through learning and fun, as this also serves as their gateway to the Youth group. During the fall we focused on our Christian roots and history. We visited a synagogue, a Catholic church, Episcopal Church, and a UM church different from our own. We have explored Methodist history, and are now turning our thoughts toward what does it mean to be a Christian. All this is to move towards helping these sixth graders make some very important decisions; will I choose to follow Christ, will I choose to reaffirm my infant baptism, will I choose to become a United Methodist and finally, will I choose to join Asbury UMC.
Throughout this pilgrimage in the Land of Israel, I have been continually reminded about my young homies. Very early in our time together I had chosen the Jerusalem cross as their symbol, and it appears on their confirmation t-shirt. The Jerusalem cross is actually five equally sided crosses, with a large one in the center and one smaller one in each of the four quadrants. Historically it is said to be the cross of the crusaders, with the larger cross representing Christ and the four smaller ones the gospels. Alternately it is said to depict the five wounds suffered by Christ; the hands, feet and side. We have seen it on the vestments of the Catholic priest, and the confirmands have become quite good at locating versions of it. Well, it is everywhere here in the Holy Land. One church must have had about 100 of them, and each one I have seen I have had to take an image, and it reminds me of the decisions that have to be made at home.
This is a thin place.
Throughout this pilgrimage in the Land of Israel, I have been continually reminded about my young homies. Very early in our time together I had chosen the Jerusalem cross as their symbol, and it appears on their confirmation t-shirt. The Jerusalem cross is actually five equally sided crosses, with a large one in the center and one smaller one in each of the four quadrants. Historically it is said to be the cross of the crusaders, with the larger cross representing Christ and the four smaller ones the gospels. Alternately it is said to depict the five wounds suffered by Christ; the hands, feet and side. We have seen it on the vestments of the Catholic priest, and the confirmands have become quite good at locating versions of it. Well, it is everywhere here in the Holy Land. One church must have had about 100 of them, and each one I have seen I have had to take an image, and it reminds me of the decisions that have to be made at home.
This is a thin place.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Remember your baptism
The United Methodist church does not recognize the need for multiple baptisms, you are baptized once and that is all that is required. However, we do have a service of reaffirmation or remembering your baptism. So it is only fitting that at the Jordan River, at the site where tradition holds John the Baptizer baptized Jesus, that we 110 United Methodist would reaffirm our baptism. But who knew…
The day had alternated between overcast and clear. We had brief periods of rainy drizzle, but certainly nothing to compare to the downpours of the previous day. As we approached our appointed site along the Jordan we had to pass hundreds of ceramic tiles with the story of our Lord’s baptism in the various languages of Christians from all over the world, from Urdu, to Tagalong to Haitian Creole, with a special spot reserved for Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin. We passed those that were self directing their reaffirmation, and changing into white robes purchased for just that purpose. Throes of folk emerged from dressing rooms to walk across the pebbles and down in the waters. They emerged drenched and dripping and delighted. You could see it resonating on their faces.
As we listened together by the waters those words of our ritual, white birds, not doves, but white none the less, danced over the top of the water and the raindrops began to fall. As the bishop dowsed you with water from the Jordan, God dowsed us with rain from above. And we sang wade in the water, and rejoiced. What could be more complete?
God was not through with us yet. As we emerged from the building surrounding the water’s edge there in the sky over the Jordan, over Israel was a full rainbow. Covenant of the Old Testament and New converge.
This was the thinnest of places.
The day had alternated between overcast and clear. We had brief periods of rainy drizzle, but certainly nothing to compare to the downpours of the previous day. As we approached our appointed site along the Jordan we had to pass hundreds of ceramic tiles with the story of our Lord’s baptism in the various languages of Christians from all over the world, from Urdu, to Tagalong to Haitian Creole, with a special spot reserved for Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin. We passed those that were self directing their reaffirmation, and changing into white robes purchased for just that purpose. Throes of folk emerged from dressing rooms to walk across the pebbles and down in the waters. They emerged drenched and dripping and delighted. You could see it resonating on their faces.
As we listened together by the waters those words of our ritual, white birds, not doves, but white none the less, danced over the top of the water and the raindrops began to fall. As the bishop dowsed you with water from the Jordan, God dowsed us with rain from above. And we sang wade in the water, and rejoiced. What could be more complete?
God was not through with us yet. As we emerged from the building surrounding the water’s edge there in the sky over the Jordan, over Israel was a full rainbow. Covenant of the Old Testament and New converge.
This was the thinnest of places.
Dashing through the New Testament
Well not the entire New Testament, but certainly the gospels. We began today on the Mount of the Beatitudes at the Church of the Beatitudes a Franciscan church at the site of the Sermon on the Mount. The geography of the place revealed how it would have been possible to preach and teach to such a large group of people, because it was a natural bowl leading down to the Sea of Galilee. From there we went to the Sea of Galilee for a boat ride. While on the boat Bishop Hutchinson lead us my favorite Gospel narrative, the story from Mark of the storm on the waters. The story took on an entirely new meaning because as we were on the water it grew more and more calm, when we knew that the weather had churned up the waters yesterday, and actually again later in the day. So we could clearly envision a storm boiling up quickly and dissipating with equal swiftness. Of course, the view from a boat is always the best, and it was true as we sat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee (actually a lake) and watched the town of Tiberius where we are staying.
From there we walked over to an archeological site where a first century fishing boat had been recovered from the Sea of Galilee during a drought year. The film that we watched detailed the recovery efforts that went into reclaiming this boat from the Sea. The we jumped onto the bus for a brief stop at two Gospel sites, the Church of the loaves and fishes and the Church of Peter’s primacy. At the first stop the church was the location where Jesus is said to have blessed the five loaves and two fish for the feeding of the multitudes. This is the site of an ongoing construction of a Benedictine monastery. This is also the site of first century mosaics that appear on modern day liturgical garments and pottery. The second stop was a smaller church on the sea where Jesus is said to have appeared to the disciples following his resurrection. This is the place where after the bad night of fishing the disciples, following the directions of Jesus, fished on the other side, and pulled in the 153 fish. Here Peter was questioned three times of his love for Jesus.
Although noon time passed our morning was not complete. Our next location as Capernaum and we viewed an archeological site complete with a first century house church, a ruin and a fourth century synagogue built on a first century synagogue. But the most intriguing part of the visit was a chorus of “In the Sweet bye and bye” and the Battle hymn of the republic, sung by a group of Romanian Pentecost’s that were visiting at the same time.
The veil was pulled far back, this was a thin place.
From there we walked over to an archeological site where a first century fishing boat had been recovered from the Sea of Galilee during a drought year. The film that we watched detailed the recovery efforts that went into reclaiming this boat from the Sea. The we jumped onto the bus for a brief stop at two Gospel sites, the Church of the loaves and fishes and the Church of Peter’s primacy. At the first stop the church was the location where Jesus is said to have blessed the five loaves and two fish for the feeding of the multitudes. This is the site of an ongoing construction of a Benedictine monastery. This is also the site of first century mosaics that appear on modern day liturgical garments and pottery. The second stop was a smaller church on the sea where Jesus is said to have appeared to the disciples following his resurrection. This is the place where after the bad night of fishing the disciples, following the directions of Jesus, fished on the other side, and pulled in the 153 fish. Here Peter was questioned three times of his love for Jesus.
Although noon time passed our morning was not complete. Our next location as Capernaum and we viewed an archeological site complete with a first century house church, a ruin and a fourth century synagogue built on a first century synagogue. But the most intriguing part of the visit was a chorus of “In the Sweet bye and bye” and the Battle hymn of the republic, sung by a group of Romanian Pentecost’s that were visiting at the same time.
The veil was pulled far back, this was a thin place.
From the edge...
Friday was spent traveling up and down the road to visit various historic sites, very much a feeling of “if this is Friday we must be in Israel sort of day. It was cold and rainy, a day the Scots would call “drietch,” and we were excited, wet and chilled. My feet had achieved a new degree of “pruney.” So the best thing to do would be to get a hot shower, enjoy a meal and hit the bed. But no, there is a lecture on the Galilee planned for this evening, so after dinner we will be herding ourselves into a lecture hall and listening to a lecture.
This may not be the best plan.
Add to it the lecturer, a very knowledgeable speaker, hails from the South, the south of Africa. He has this delightful lilting twang, and we were in a quandary. Myself, I was hastily taking a few notes, as my seat neighbor said, this is great sermon preparation, and while note taking all the time battling nodding off. By no means was this a boring lecture, indeed, very compelling, but for the most part many of us were battling the energy of the day against the interest of his information. However, not only an informed speaker he was a wise man and finished an informationally laden presentation in 45 minutes. We could all still be in bed before Blue Bloods came on the television.
So from the edge of wakefulness, there was a thin place.
This may not be the best plan.
Add to it the lecturer, a very knowledgeable speaker, hails from the South, the south of Africa. He has this delightful lilting twang, and we were in a quandary. Myself, I was hastily taking a few notes, as my seat neighbor said, this is great sermon preparation, and while note taking all the time battling nodding off. By no means was this a boring lecture, indeed, very compelling, but for the most part many of us were battling the energy of the day against the interest of his information. However, not only an informed speaker he was a wise man and finished an informationally laden presentation in 45 minutes. We could all still be in bed before Blue Bloods came on the television.
So from the edge of wakefulness, there was a thin place.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The seasons in a day
That’s not completely true, although it makes a boastful title. We did not experience an Israeli summer yesterday, but we experienced the other three. We departed from our hotel on the edge of the Sea of Galilee and headed towards the ancient ruins of Bet She’an. It was a beautiful spring day. The bougainvilleas were in full bloom, reds, purples and even a yellow or two. We were in high adventurous spirits as we began the tour, exploring the ruins. But as we emerged from the bathhouse the clouds above were laden with rain, and it became dark and menacing. Suddenly spring had turned to fall, and fall did the rain.
But we donned our foul weather gear of various colors and effectiveness and continued on the tour. This is a chance that won’t pass this way again, so a little rain should not slow you down. The guide was kind enough to find us a sheltered place, tell us what we were about to see and what to pay attention to, and then send us on our way. He continually repeats, Chop chop and shake a leg, which ominous sounds like an accented break a leg. We would scurry through the sprinkle and downpours to the next sheltered location, and completed the tour.
From Bet She’an we proceeded to Caesarea and on the way the rain became a real frog choker. And weather turned from fall to winter, with hail that lined the roadway like snow. At Caesarea we watched a couple of interesting films about the construction of the harbor there, and the innovations in concrete usage (volcanic ash and water) to create a breakwater. All of which has been destroyed by the sea and multiple invaders. But the weather was too harsh to walk any of the ruins, so we returned to the bus. And no more than a mile down the road we had returned to fall. So we were able to get out and view a first century Roman aqueduct, right on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
Fall stayed with us for the remainder of the day. We ventured to Megiddo a high plateau fortress that overlooks the valley of Jezreel or as it is commonly referred to Armageddon. From the heights of the plateau, we overlooked an original excavation by the University of Chicago that revealed elements back to 3000 B.C.E. And then we scaled the depths, and that is what it felt like, as we went down 183 steps into the spring for the fortress which is still functional.
Our next stop was to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. A beautifully constructed church housing a first century home, similar to the one Mary would have been visited by the angel Gabriel. The first floor of the church is simple, and the second housing the Catholic worship space is ornate and splendid. From this magnificent structure we visited the Greek Orthodox Church of the annunciation (no they are not the same because as Christians we can’t agree on most things). This church was much smaller but no less ornate. It housed the spring of water for the town of Nazareth and it too is still a functioning spring.
The day was filled with thin places, but none more thin that the camaraderie we shared as 40 wet, cold pilgrims.
But we donned our foul weather gear of various colors and effectiveness and continued on the tour. This is a chance that won’t pass this way again, so a little rain should not slow you down. The guide was kind enough to find us a sheltered place, tell us what we were about to see and what to pay attention to, and then send us on our way. He continually repeats, Chop chop and shake a leg, which ominous sounds like an accented break a leg. We would scurry through the sprinkle and downpours to the next sheltered location, and completed the tour.
From Bet She’an we proceeded to Caesarea and on the way the rain became a real frog choker. And weather turned from fall to winter, with hail that lined the roadway like snow. At Caesarea we watched a couple of interesting films about the construction of the harbor there, and the innovations in concrete usage (volcanic ash and water) to create a breakwater. All of which has been destroyed by the sea and multiple invaders. But the weather was too harsh to walk any of the ruins, so we returned to the bus. And no more than a mile down the road we had returned to fall. So we were able to get out and view a first century Roman aqueduct, right on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
Fall stayed with us for the remainder of the day. We ventured to Megiddo a high plateau fortress that overlooks the valley of Jezreel or as it is commonly referred to Armageddon. From the heights of the plateau, we overlooked an original excavation by the University of Chicago that revealed elements back to 3000 B.C.E. And then we scaled the depths, and that is what it felt like, as we went down 183 steps into the spring for the fortress which is still functional.
Our next stop was to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. A beautifully constructed church housing a first century home, similar to the one Mary would have been visited by the angel Gabriel. The first floor of the church is simple, and the second housing the Catholic worship space is ornate and splendid. From this magnificent structure we visited the Greek Orthodox Church of the annunciation (no they are not the same because as Christians we can’t agree on most things). This church was much smaller but no less ornate. It housed the spring of water for the town of Nazareth and it too is still a functioning spring.
The day was filled with thin places, but none more thin that the camaraderie we shared as 40 wet, cold pilgrims.
All God's children
It’s an aircraft. It’s a big aircraft, with 10 seats across divided by two aisles. It is divided into sections; first, business, coach and the back of the bus. Now the designation of back of the bus is not one that the airlines recognize, but for those of us enroute to Tel Aviv there was no doubt about it – there was a difference between coach and the back of the bus. First, of all this aircraft was no outfitted with personal video in the headrest of the seat in front of you, but everyone was expected to watch the four movies selected by someone in authority in the order they had selected. Now 20 years ago this was a big screen. By today’s standards, it wasn’t even medium screen. I can’t tell you about the quality of the resolution, because in the back of the bus, the video was not operational. 10 hours no video.
Well, video is not all that important or significant. It’s only a ten hour flight (perhaps you fly to places too far away when 10 hours sounds reasonable). You could always read for some of that time. Except that in the back of the bus the overhead lights do not work. That’s not completely accurate. Through about an hour of experimentation one of my seat mates discovered that the lights did work. Our switches controlled the lights seven rows in front of us. And while that was entertaining for awhile, particularly when the people in that row couldn’t figure out what was going on; it did not have the capability of sustaining our interest. However, the lack of lights did completely eliminate the possibility of reading while in flight. 10 hours no video, no reading.
That left the options of sleeping and people watching. And while sleeping is possible on an aircraft in the back of the bus, it is by no mean comfortable. And the opportunities for people watching were endless. In the back of the bus with me was a group of young people from New York who were as a group going to Israel. They were Jewish, and many spoke fluent Hebrew. One was the chief negotiator and reshuffled people around in their seats so that they could be with loved ones, or ones they wanted to love. Several of them crisscrossed the aircraft by walking across the armrests. I think that is an activity reserved for the very light and graceful.
But the best people watching began as the sun peaked out over our horizon. First the Muslims came to the back of the bus, spread their blankets and began to pray. Then the Jews came to the rear of the aircraft and began their prayers. Women with head scarves, and bearded men with shawls, together in the back of the bus praying to their god. And this Christian watched as nothing divided us and we prayed together.
This is a thin place.
Well, video is not all that important or significant. It’s only a ten hour flight (perhaps you fly to places too far away when 10 hours sounds reasonable). You could always read for some of that time. Except that in the back of the bus the overhead lights do not work. That’s not completely accurate. Through about an hour of experimentation one of my seat mates discovered that the lights did work. Our switches controlled the lights seven rows in front of us. And while that was entertaining for awhile, particularly when the people in that row couldn’t figure out what was going on; it did not have the capability of sustaining our interest. However, the lack of lights did completely eliminate the possibility of reading while in flight. 10 hours no video, no reading.
That left the options of sleeping and people watching. And while sleeping is possible on an aircraft in the back of the bus, it is by no mean comfortable. And the opportunities for people watching were endless. In the back of the bus with me was a group of young people from New York who were as a group going to Israel. They were Jewish, and many spoke fluent Hebrew. One was the chief negotiator and reshuffled people around in their seats so that they could be with loved ones, or ones they wanted to love. Several of them crisscrossed the aircraft by walking across the armrests. I think that is an activity reserved for the very light and graceful.
But the best people watching began as the sun peaked out over our horizon. First the Muslims came to the back of the bus, spread their blankets and began to pray. Then the Jews came to the rear of the aircraft and began their prayers. Women with head scarves, and bearded men with shawls, together in the back of the bus praying to their god. And this Christian watched as nothing divided us and we prayed together.
This is a thin place.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Another search underway
The search for thin places begins anew, but this time I am visiting the Holy Land of Israel with about 110 friends. And if the seating arrangements on the plane are any indication, some of us will be much closer by the time we return.
As a reminder, Celts talk about “thin places”, places where the veil between heaven and earth is so thin that the two blend together. Thin places are locations or settings where spiritual beings find themselves drawn nearer to the spirit. For me, as a Christian, that would be the spirit of the Trinitarian God, but for others it may take different shapes or spirits. There are places that are traditionally thought to be “thin places”; the Isle of Iona off the West coast of Scotland is certainly an example. And for Christians, Jews and Muslims, this Holy place of Jerusalem and the Middle east certainly is a thin place.
Part of my quest in this search for thin places is certainly to explore those places with the tradition of “thinness,” but more importantly to seek out and locate those places that are thin but could easily be missed. What if we could all find thin places in our day to day journeys? What might our world look like then?
As a reminder, Celts talk about “thin places”, places where the veil between heaven and earth is so thin that the two blend together. Thin places are locations or settings where spiritual beings find themselves drawn nearer to the spirit. For me, as a Christian, that would be the spirit of the Trinitarian God, but for others it may take different shapes or spirits. There are places that are traditionally thought to be “thin places”; the Isle of Iona off the West coast of Scotland is certainly an example. And for Christians, Jews and Muslims, this Holy place of Jerusalem and the Middle east certainly is a thin place.
Part of my quest in this search for thin places is certainly to explore those places with the tradition of “thinness,” but more importantly to seek out and locate those places that are thin but could easily be missed. What if we could all find thin places in our day to day journeys? What might our world look like then?
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