Back at home

Time is a funny thing.  Ceasarea Maritima (our first day) seems ages ago, yet the trip went by quickly, it felt like a very long time away from my family, but now after just a few hours it doesn't seem like I was gone at all.

I have prepared for tomorrow morning, will reconnect with friends tonight, and then Sunday comes.  It will be a good day of sharing, of connecting, of celebrating (Tobiah's Birthday party in the afternoon), of trying to be in this time zone.... All this to say, that quickly life is back to normal.  My two weeks of learning, reflecting, being stretched, hiking, exploring, etc, will quickly fade into the background.  But I know this trip will always be more than most any trip I have taken.  Whether it is listening to the news (or reading it online) and now having a much more comprehensive matrix to hang things one, or reading the Bible and picturing the terrain and knowing the history better, or working with strangers and dealing with group dynamics... this trip will be with me.

There is so much of this trip I may never be able to share, but it is part of who I am.

God's Blessings,
Dirk

Taxi shuttle is coming

In about 1/2 an hour our transport to the airport should be arriving.  My dad and I have had a good final day in Jerusalem.  Lord willing we will be home by lunch on Saturday.  Today we walked the wall of Jerusalem from the Jaffa Gate to the Dung Gate.  After lunch we walked up the Mt of Olives and re-visited some of the churches, then did some shopping (and I still was accused of being hard, but also a friend when I left the stores), we were able to view the Western Wall as Shabbat began, then dinner, and now we are waiting in the lobby of the Golden Wall Hotel.

Holy Places amplify sound....

Good Night

Being Hard in the Markets of Jerusalem

Today I was called hard. “You are hard, very hard.” It was in the context of shopping in the market. After I bargained a man down from $72 to $15, he was not happy with me, but he still completed the transaction... I have shopped in markets in many cultures and many countries. There are at least two skills you need. One is to judge how high above selling price the initial offering is, and the other is the culturally appropriate ways to get from starting price A to final price B. Today I finally had some time to develop a sense of Jerusalem markets. I only shopped a short while – I am no expert, and those who have been here longer might take issue with what I think I learned...

The hotel is in East Jerusalem, facing the Old City wall, and very much enmeshed in a community. The prices in many of the stores are posted, therefore more or less fixed, and it seems like those other stores bump up the price a bit for foreigners, but a little asking and the price easily comes down 10 – 15%. They are shop keepers making a living, and making a little bit extra off the white guy who doesn't speak their language or know their prices – I don't mind, seems somewhat fair. But things are very different in the Old City, in the shops selling to the hoards of tourists tumbling past.

I was out for a walk, seeing where I might end up, and when I was around stores, I did some window shopping (sans windows of course). Occasionally I would ask prices, but I wasn't really seeking to shop. As I went, a nice older gentleman invited me into his small shop filled with embroidered dresses. Simple, nice, somewhat exotic. “How big is your wife?” “Is she blonde?” “What color do you like?” He had me choose one before he would tell me how much they cost. Then he sprung it on me... 350 shekels.. In case you aren't up on your conversions, that is $100. I knew that was overpriced so I started out (the store is only 7 feet deep, I didn't have far to go). By the time I was at the threshold it was down to 100 shekels (that's 30% per step I took). While maintaining interaction, I also continued movement away from him. By the time I reached the edge of his area he called out “10 dollars!” A 90% reduction – I kept walking, that is not what I want to support.

garbage tractor in the market

I learned quickly that the prices here are often more than the doubling I was originally told. One shawl that I thought was nice dropped from 450 to 150 – but this time it took just staying in the store, being congenial, recognizing the quality, and knowing that Rhamla is a Palestinian town. The bargaining here is relationship based, respect based, but they will go for the financial kill if the opportunity is given by an unsuspecting tourist. I would say that this is a very hard market.

My reflection after going for the bargain kill (getting a man to sell for almost no profit) on the present for Tobiah is that I indeed was hard. In the Palestinian neighborhood shops I did not feel that they were hard. Foreign and challenging due to my lack of knowledge, but not hard. And I reciprocated and happily paid a few dollars more. But I was taken from this more generous mindset to being a “hard American” by the hard market which takes advantage of people.

But this is not how we are to live. Jesus shows us a better way. Love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you, give more than you are asked for....don't allow yourself to become hard just because you are surrounded by hardness. I have seen this in many Palestinians here. Many are given the short end of every deal by the Israelis. They have their homes taken and are not reimbursed. They are restricted, denied rights, encroached upon – and the list of grievances goes on and on – and some become hard. But on this trip I have met many who are seeking better, to work for peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” Matt 5

Having more time, I discovered that this hotel has a terrace on top of it – I'm sitting there now. Watching people walk on the street below, looking across at the powerful stone wall of Jerusalem, and listen to the chatting of three Palestinian boys at the next table over sharing Coke, while their parents gather at a long table sharing nuts and good conversion.

Also today my dad and I visited the Garden Tomb, a more likely place for the crucifixion of Jesus. Turns out we can see the possible rock of Galgotha from our hotel window – who knew we were so close? It is likely that everyday I have looked out my hotel window at the buses in the station, I have been looking at where Jesus died – submitting to an unjust death in a hard world – back when it was a spent quarry 2000 years ago. Wow!

Tomorrow is my last day in the amazing place. Good Night.

Jesus killed in a place as unglamorous as a bus lot - fitting. 

Rocks - smoothed by the ages

Today was the last official day of our tour.  I have two more days here to process, rest, pray (and shop) - my dad and I leave late Friday night.  Today we started early, going to the Church of the Resurrection by foot at 6:30 in the morning.  As we entered this building with a very nondescript facade, we were greeted by singing and chanting in another language coming from around the corner.  It was a Catholic mass taking place at the entrance to the tomb of Jesus, behind it the Coptic priests were chanting in a small service of their own surrounding a small "shrine" where they believe the head of Jesus was at when in the tomb.  (hard to briefly explain the spacial reality)  Throughout this church which is shared by 6 difference branched of the church (Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian), there are many different worship areas, venerating many different things, there are stones - lots of stones.

There is the stone which some say was at the base of the cross, the stone upon which Jesus' body was prepared for burial, the stone of the tomb (the tomb itself was chiseled away by some invader along the way) are the main ones.  Then the entire structure, with all its additions and rooms, is made from stone.  There are stones carved into arches, and stone walls with small crosses carved in by passing pilgrims.  What stuck me is how smooth the stones are.  They have been polished by the touch of a million hands, made to shine by the passing of a countless stream of shuffling feet, people seeking to connect with the story of the Bible, with Jesus, with God.



Just looking down at the floor is a reminder of how many people have passed this way....

polished...

We ended the day in the middle of nowhere.  Of course there is no middle of nowhere here, everything is close, every place has a not just a history, but multiple histories, but we were in a agricultural valley between Jerusalem and the coast.  The land which was the boundary between the Israelites and the Philistines as Israel became a nation once it crossed the Jordan.  It is this valley where the youngest brother David fought Goliath (I picked up 5 smooth stones from the creek bed), and the area where the Israelites - in a desperate move - bring the Ark of the Covenant into battle.  God didn't go for using it as a good luck charm - it was captured, and the priests son's were killed.  But that wasn't the main reason we came to this area, it was to see some rough stones. (read it in 1 Samuel 4-6)

A few years ago something amazing was found here, on a hill, near a village that has passed into antiquity.  Tombs - tombs carved into the the gently sloping hills.  Tombs with ledges carved into them to place a body upon while it decomposed into bones.  Bones which would later be placed into an ossuary and kept in the cave.  Yes, people back then really did sleep with their fathers...  These tombs were only discovered three years ago.  There are no signs, no trails, some have been cleared out, others are still undug, most have some trash in them as they have been used by local shepherd boys - but they have been dated to be within 150 years (+/-) of the life of Jesus - and they are rough.  They haven't been smoothed and polished, I got cobwebs in my hair as I crawled into one, they are the closest thing to the tomb where Jesus was laid, they even have a lip for a large stone to fit under to seal the door.  Neither in the Church of the Resurrection nor here in the wilderness did I see the actual tomb which could not keep Jesus contained - but Jesus came to be among the rough stones more than the smooth.

Where am I going with this?  Some other rough stones today were down in a basement chapel in the first church.  It was the chapel for the prisoners - a dark, rough, unadorned chapel - reminding people of Jesus's complete journey to the tomb.  This journey included being held with criminals awaiting execution.  And he was a target as a prisoner, beaten and abused, surrounded by rough stone.  But this is why he came.  Jesus challenged those who walked daily on the smooth, polished Temple stones.  He gave hope to those who were prisoners pressed against rough walls, lifted up those thrown down on rough gravel, and proved power over death which is wrapped in a roughly hewed cave in a hill.

This is getting long, but I have a bit more, using what our guide Marlin Vis pulled together for us today.  When the Ark was captured (when God was held captive) do you know who rescued God?  Read 1 Samuel 5 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/1-samuel/5.html for the account of God's work.  And when Jesus (God with flesh on) was forsaken, killed and placed captive in the ground - who rescued him?  It is the power of God!  Jesus is scary because Jesus is powerful.  We want Jesus to be smooth and polished, but rather he is powerful and unpredictable.  "Jesus is Good, but He is not Safe."

If what we do becomes so routine that the path is polished smooth, we need to make sure the vibrant Spirit of God is still moving and guiding us.  If we never get scraped, or hurt, we need to ask ourselves if we are surrounded by the people who Jesus came to save.  Jesus bumped up against the rough stones, do we?

But I still really like smooth stones, today I laid my forehead on the place venerated as the foot of the cross.  (most pilgrims who come to that point kiss it - I couldn't go that far) - and here felt the power of God (even though there is no likely hood that the cross was actually at this spot).  The smooth stones of familiar worship are powerful, but they need to keep us connected to the solid, rough, tough, eternal, awesome, beautiful Rock.

Tomorrow is time to think, write, pray about what God wants me to share of all this on Sunday....

It is indeed a Good Night - I hope you have one too.

Herod the Great

It is hard to think this way as each day is near 80 degrees, and there are no red and green decorations to be seen, but for those in the US - Christmas is coming.  In the recounting of Jesus' birth in the book of Matthew the story starts, "Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod."  Before this trip my thoughts on Herod did not go very far.  I knew he was not a very nice ruler (not only did he order the killing of infants and toddlers in the Bible, but he also ordered the killing of multiple of his own sons), and that he was feared, but not much more.  But the man was "The Man" of the times.  We have visited Ceasarea Maritima (by the way, in order to save time, I'm not looking up the spelling within my blogs), the port he created, along with a full city, and 13 mile aqueduct in 12 years.  We hiked up to Herodion - the massive fort/palace which stood between Jerusalem and Bethlehem - build upon a man made mountain, and then heading close to 100' into the air.  Today we went to Masada.  Another mind-blowing building accomplishment of Herod.  A completely defensible palace, built on a cliff over looking he Dead Sea. 


We hiked up to Masada today, climbing 1000' vertically.  The altitude of the palace is 100' above sea level, a reminder of how far below sea level the dead sea (we even start the climb at Dead Sea level) is (the lowest place on earth.   Masada was a multi-level palace, with 15 huge storerooms for all the supplies Herod could ever want.  Herod is rightly called "Herod the Great"  He was a political genius, an organizer, a builder, (not such a good father), and he really wanted to be loved by the Jewish population (he was half Jew, which meant that he wasn't one of them).  He dramatically expanded the Temple Mount, and made the Temple as grand as it ever was.  Jesus was born about two years before his death.

Herod's Massive, beveled stones...

Jesus never built grand palaces, never controlled large groups, never manipulated Roman politics, never married and raised three new rulers (via 10 wives).  Herod only build with stones which were perfectly square and beveled around the edges so they looked wonderful.  Jesus built with living stones.  Herod hired a biographer which recorded all the grandeur of Herod, Jesus called 12 disciples, only a few of which put anything into writing (we know much more details about Herod than Jesus).  While Herod was great by the worlds standards, he died.  He is called great, but his greatness did not last.  It is remembered, but not enjoyed.  How different the legacy of Jesus.  Not so great when measured in what he did in his 33 years on this planet - but his greatness has continued to grow, expand, deepen.  Jesus poured into a few, Jesus lived sacrificially, Jesus served others rather than seeking to be served...and today he is still transforming to world.


Am I building the greatness of Herod, or the legacy of Jesus?


Tomorrow is our last day with the group.  Today we also hiked on the Road to Jericho.  If you have ever tried to picture that road described in the Bible, as Jesus headed to Jerusalem, your picture is almost guaranteed to be wrong...

















Well, we are heading to the Church of the Resurrection at 6:15am - so once again,
Good Night. 

Beating the crowds

We were up and out early this morning.  Down the narrow stone streets as the Old City (Jerusalem within the old stone walls) began to wake up.  If you watch your feet on the never-ending steps either up or down you can travel quite quickly at 7 in the morning.  Before we knew it we were passing through the first security check point of the morning - entering the area around the West Wall (wailing wall).  Then we went immediately into another line, becoming some of the first non-Muslims of the day to head up to the Temple Mount.  Again through metal detectors before ascending onto the huge stone area surrounding the Dome of the Rock.  It is one of the famous images of the world, the large golden dome, set upon the place where to Jewish Temple stood until it was destroyed by the Romans some 30+ years after the death of Jesus.

The dome was built somewhere around 687 (some 50+ years after the death of Mohamed) basically to provide another point of worship, because of a rift between Muslim powers here and those in Mecca.  A holy story was created, and now 1400 years later it is the second most holy site for the whole religion.

Looking at it historically, rationally - it should not be such a holy site for Muslims.  For the Jews, absolutely.  This is the absolute center for Jews.  But where is the absolute center for Christians.  Is it in Bethlehem where Jesus was born?  Is it at the empty tomb, celebrating the resurrection?  Is it on the hill outside the walls (likely very close to the hotel where I am staying) where Jesus died?  No, the absolute center for Christianity is in none of these places.  That is the wonder of what Jesus did, he took the absolute center and made it possible for that center to reside in His people.  Those who have been called by, those who believe in, those who follow behind, those who walk with - Jesus, become the holy site.  Scattered from point, to billions - spread all over the world.

It makes it messy, it makes it hard to get a handle on, but it is wondrous.  I am not trapped into one place, I don't have one territory to defend.  It means I can be part of a movement which can shift and change to work within all cultures, languages and lands.  I can sit in the lobby here and ease drop on clergy from India and American having a discussion on helping Indians develop (BTW - it took great restraint not to intervene as the American gave all the answers with such little understanding...), and today have my picture taken by a Christian from Singapore on the Temple Mount - in part because our holy center is with people - not buildings or locations.

It is easy for this to be forgotten.  As we follow Jesus - the man without a home - it is easy and comfortable to  define who we are and what we believe by places.  Just as other religions get trapped into places, we can get stuck thinking our church building, our trappings, our patterns - that these things are our faith.  But our faith is our walk, within a community of faithful.  We need each other on the journey, we need some structure to give strength, but more than anything, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith.

Well, this is starting to seem to be as ramblings of a philosophical variety - it has been another great full day - tomorrow we head out of town for the day.

After seeing and learning on the Temple Mount (built by Herod the Great justs before the birth of Jesus), we visited the Western Wall - the place of prayer for Jews.  This wall is as close as they can come to the Holy of Holies (which was destroyed by the Romans).  Then we entered the Archeological park on the south side of the Mount.  Seeing the stones of the wall - some 400 tons.  It was these massive, well built stone structures which Jesus said would not stand - and in fact they did not.  That is the way of this world, all things which we build will come to an end - except those things which we can't put our hands on.  Faith, Hope Love.

For the afternoon we were divided into groups to go and explore the 4 different quarters of the city.  Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian.  Our group headed to the Armenian Quarter.  We had a fascinating discussion with an Armenian man, who has lived back and forth between the USA and Jerusalem.  Now Jerusalem is home, but it is not easy.  In his words, "Armenians have always lived in peace, but the Israelis make it very hard.  They treat us very badly, they lump us together with Palestinian terrorists who strap on bombs and blow people up."  The oppression of all who are not Jewish Israelis here is very real.

Armenian Pottery Shop

Then it was time on our own to explore the Old City, I was actually able to take a nap today, the first time we were back at the hotel before dinner, and without evening plans.  Tomorrow is a Muslim feast day, people will be making Haj (pilgrimage) to the Temple Mount, it is a feast day (actually two) so the market areas are crazy and packed.  It is like before Christmas, Muslim style.  People are buying presents, getting there last minute supplies, etc.  It was a sea of people - an interested scene to wade through back to the hotel in East Jerusalem (in the heart of the Muslim markets).  So, it will be hard to get out of the city as people come in, but after that, it will be a good day to see some sites to the south.

Well, in preparation for another full day - I must say;
Good Night

I don't know when

Well, they ran us hard enough today that I can't do the day justice now.  Church of the Seplecur, Warren's Shaft, Hezekiahs Tunnel, Holocaust Memorial, Museum of Israel, meeting with 35 yr old Palestinian man who's father was shot by Israeli soldiers, 60 yr old Israeli man whose 14 yr old daughter was killed by a Palestinian terrorist, and another middle aged man who as a Palestinian plotted to blow up an Israeli site but was arrested and spent time in jail - all three now working for peace through helping each side know the other as real people.   

They boil it down to Palestinians want freedom, and Israelis want security, and neither can have what they want until they both have what they want....

I did have more time for digital camera fast as the Holocaust Memorial and parts of the Museum prohibited cameras...just there to take it in - but I'm glad I could record the tunnel - 1/2hour in a tunnel shoulder wide, 5' - 7' high, with running water - only headlamps - amazing!

Church commemorating the death of Jesus

Old City in the Early Morning

A deep section of Hezekiah's tunnel

Look up Hezekiah in the Bible - this tunnel is a 3000 yr old marvel

Mike was in front of me, he's probably about 6'2"