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.