September 2, 2008

I write this from my room at the Moshav. My window is open and I can hear Jewish music playing outside.

So today, I saw, tasted, heard, learned, and experienced many a new thing.

My poor camera is exhausted, as am I, but we sure saw a lot. I was busy clicking away as I tried to take in every sight, every sound, every smell.

Crowded streets hustling and bustling with all sorts of people, a place where the noise never seems to cease, where the smells are strong and the sounds are many, where three religions meet in one city, where cultures clash yet seem to tolerate each other enough so that daily life goes on.

It was all very different to me, yet I found it all so fascinating.

Hebrew and Arabic are the main tongues here. The streets are shared. Men with Yamahas upon their heads hurried around, as Muslim women in the custom Muslim dress, bought their groceries from local stand of fruits and vegetables. I heard all sorts of noises, from the baby screaming from an open window stories up, to the custom Muslim call for prayer, to the school children reciting the Hebrew alphabet, to the constant honking of horns. Drivers seem more impatient here and space is, well, hard to come by. Every crack and cranny of Jerusalem is occupied. Something as simple as walking down the street quickly becomes a fight through the masses. To add to the clutter of people, crowding the narrow streets, wheel-barrows carrying all sorts of foods can appear at any time and traffic-jams occur frequently. And I must say, the wheel-barrow drivers/pushers(?) are merciless. So, watch out!! If you get in the way, well, they will simply run into, and if need be, over you. The money is colourful, as well as the many beautiful skirts that are popular here, one of which I plan to buy. All in all, it was a fantastic day. What a city, what a city!!

Today, as I walked through the streets, actually rather navigated my way through the crowds, it was amazing to me that I was actually walking the same stone streets that our beloved Messiah walked some thousand years ago. How incredible that thought was to me. In that instant, Israel became real. Within the Old City, we went to many a place. Our first stop was the Citadel, which was quite the building, in more ways than one. Asides from its central location to the Jaffa Gate, it actually tells a story. Nearly all of Jerusalem’s history is represented in some way or another by this magnificent building. The different sizes and colours of the stones are a dead-giveaway of the various periods of its history, while the inner court-yard also holds its own stories of Jerusalem’s long and busy past.

From the Citadel we had a grand panoramic view of Jerusalem. The first thing we spotted were the three tall buildings to the east, the Tower of Ascension on the far right, which was built by the Russians, the Augusta Victoria Hospital in the middle, which was built by the Germans, and to the left, the Hebrew University. These three tall buildings simply served as the back-drop for the main attraction….the Dome of the Rock. It is impossible to miss with its round gold top. I once heard this place referred to as “the most fought-over real estate in the world.” Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike all esteem this place greatly as each faith believe it to be central to their religion’s history. Muslims in particular regard it holy, as Mohammad’s ascension supposedly occurred there. Many Muslims would even venture to venerate the temple even more than Mecca. As far as its history goes… it was first destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar and then later destroyed again in 70 AD by the Romans.

Our next stop was the Church of the Holy Supulchre. This I found intriguing, beautiful, and horrible all at the same time. Let me explain why. First of all, it is one sight to behold, inside and out. The ceilings are tall and the all the decorations, statues, and fixtures are very elaborate. I would sum my experience in the Holy Supulchre consisting of bells and smells, ‘Christians’ and candles. You see, it is here though that Christ conquered death, once and for all. However, now it is a church which people have made a tourist attraction, while it is still an operating church. Priests, dressed very ornately walked to and fro, burning incense, ringing bells, and chanting prayers. All around people knelt to kiss the place where Jesus was crucified or light a candle and then cross themselves. This was all especially tragic to see, as this place, where our wonderful Lord and Saviour bled and died and rose, to save us from death and darkness into life and light, has become a place of routine religious duties, doubling as a frequent tourist spot, where a ‘spiritual blessing’ is hopefully received.

However, as I quickly became saddened and appalled by all the idolatry I was witnessing, I was quickly reminded that so often I excuse or ignore my idolatry, just because it isn’t as blatant as kissing a ‘sacred’ stone. O that I might be more aware and come to hate my sin of idolatry, just as God hates it. He alone is worthy of all of my praise. God, forgive me, and help me to treasure You above all else.

Next stop….the pools of Bethesda. As we arrived at this location, we read all together John 5:1-15. Turns out that at this very place, Jesus heals an invalid. His miracles point to His glorious power. This same God, who made the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, is the very same God who conquered death, thus so that we might be saved, is the very same God whose Holy Spirit dwells within His children. All to say, what a powerful God we belong to and serve!!

Our last stop for the day was a Muslim grave-yard. Here we read these verses, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:25:28) these words of Jesus really came alive as we read them, overlooking a sea of whitewashed tombs. While the outsides of these tombs appear clean, underneath and inside them are either dead, rotting bodies or a pile of bones. Likewise, though we might appear to be a law-abiding, church-going, passionate-preaching Christian, our heart may be hardened and are motives completely repulsive to our Holy God. O that we may be pure in our love for God.