Tuesday, May 1 ~ Judy Hammond

Our day started very early today. We were on the bus at 7:30am with a very full itinerary ahead of us. Our bus driver started for the nearest checkpoint, but, upon seeing the long line of buses waiting to be allowed to leave Bethlehem for the short drive to Jerusalem, he wisely decided to take the long way around, saving both time and aggravation.

We arrived at the Mt. of Olives, along with throngs of tourists and other pilgrims, and I was awestruck by the stunning panorama of the Old City in the distance, especially the glittering gold Dome of the Rock. We began the steep descent along the Palm Sunday path that Jesus took, through olive trees and vast graveyards, before stopping for a poignant devotional led by Pastor Luke. He read from Luke, chapter 19, which describes Jesus’ ride from the Mt. of Olives as he is being hailed a king, but he stops and weeps as he looks toward Jerusalem, noting that enemies will encircle and hem them in.  It was hard not to weep for Bethlehem at that moment, walled off and isolated as it is today. Pastor Luke then led us in a beautiful and meaningful refrain, “Salaam, salaam, the peace of God to every race. Salaam, salaam, the peace of God in every place.”  Our next stop was the peaceful Garden of Gethsemane, filled with ancient olive trees. It’s easy to imagine Jesus praying there with his disciples, even though we saw it today surrounded by tourists and noisy traffic.

Our time at the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa  Mosque was inspirational. Our guide Aouni was a fount of information, giving us religious, cultural, and historical context, and the mosques were beautiful beyond words.

Next we began our journey on the Via Dolorosa, stopping first at the church of St. Anne, named for the mother of the Virgin Mary.  And there I met a very interesting man from China.  He was pulling some “weeds” next to the church, which he said was a medicinal plant. He told me that he was a Christian and a priest in China. When I told him I had carried many bibles into his country for Chinese Christians, he gave me a hug and a very touching blessing.

We enjoyed a great lunch and a rooftop view at Ecce Homo before continuing on to the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. These are both sacred places, the Wall a sacred place of prayer for Jews and the Church believed to be the site where Jesus was crucified and buried before he rose from the dead.  Awesome, indeed.  Both sites were exceptionally crowded!

What stood out most to me today?  The cacophony of noise, the vibrant colors of all the goods and souvenirs, the amazing smells of exotic food and tempting spices! But I was struck even more by the number of languages I didn’t recognize and the crowds of pilgrims clamoring to be near these holy monuments. Muslims, Jews, and Christians, all of us seekers, here in this same sacred place from all over the world.

Salaam.  Shalom.  Peace.