Israel Day 7

A day of extremes: began with a walk through the Western Wall tunnel and more interaction with the fevered worship of our Jewish brothers and sisters. Then onto Yad Vashem, the Israel holocaust museum - to be reminded of man's inhumanity to man ... the fevered hatred of one race toward another. Then on to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. After lunch in the Old City we spent time in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (place of Jesus' death and resurrection). From there it was to the home of Caiphas where Jesus was tried and convicted. We ended up at the Garden Tomb where we saw another possible site, though less likely, of Jesus' death and resurrection. We shared communion there amidst the beautuful gardens. Tonight in the hotel lobby we watched a Muslim wedding celebration. Fascinating. To be honest it didn't look too different from most Christian wedding receptions I've been to. Two becoming one and trying to find joy and peace.
At communion I shared the message that without the resurrection, the trip has been in vain. It's the whole point and the lynchpin of our faith. If there is anything to get fevered over, it's that. This should be the core of our message - the blessedness of the resurrection. In fact, I wonder if the blessedness that Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes extends from the blessedness of the resurrection. We live in the new realm of resurrection and from that life takes on a new meaning. We live for something different now. We can wrap ourselves in peace and meekness and mercy and poverty of spirit because we know that's where life is headed. We live for these things out of the blessedness of resurrection.
Why not be fevered over mercy, meekness and peace?

Israel Day 6

Jerusalem and Bethlehem today. Spent the morning on the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. Then on to Hezekiah's Tunnell where we waded through a water tunnel 2 feet deep of water. The afternoon it was to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square and the Shepherd's Fields. There is most certainly a spiritual energy that surrounds the Western Wall. Religion at a fevered pitch. In the Holy Land, for better and for worse, it matters what you believe, It involves life and death and conflict. It can be explosive.
The circles I run in tend to spend a lot of time trying to seek common ground and resist conflict. But sometimes to the end that the content of one's belief is inconsequential to the conversation. Relationships turn innocuous.
What matters about what you believe and is it worth potential unrest?

Israel Day 5

Began the day in Nazareth. Then to Acco. From Acco to Mt. Carmel. On the way to Jerusalem we stopped at Megiddo and toured the tel where there are 25 layers of civilizations. Jerusalem at dinner time. A walk into the old city after dinner where we stumbled upon the Jerusalem Day celebration. I've never seen more kids in my life. There were tens of thousands to be sure. They believe in their city!
At Mt. Carmel we read the story of Elijah and the contest with the prophets of Baal. It begins with Elijah's question: How long will you go on limping between two different opinions? Spirituality seems always at a fevered pitch here in the Holy Land. There's little limping between opinions.
What are you certain of in life?

Israel Day 4

Covered lots of ground - primarily New Testament: taghba (loves and fishes), mount of beatitudes, capernaum, sea of galilee, Dan, Caesare Philippi, and the Syrian Border. Beginning the day at the place where Jesus delivered his sermon on the mount and said things like "blessed are the meek, the peacemakers, the poor in spirit" and then ending up at the Syrian border where two nations remain enemies, it makes me think about wether we will ever accept the fact that what Jesus teaches is really how the world is supposed to work. So many times I've heard people say to me about Jesus' teaching that "that isn't how the world works", as if the way we choose I.e (Syria/Israel) is how the world does work. Jesus turns it all around and says the world works through meekness, peacemaking, poverty of spirit, etc. It's so different from what we're used to it's hard to believe we will ever give it a chance.
How does your world work?

Israel Day 3

Full day. First to Masada - the palace of King Herod the Great, and then later the hideaway for Jewish zealots fleeing the invasion of Rome. The Romans built a ramp to the top and the Zealots chose a self-imposed death over slavery. On to En Gedi where David took refuge from Saul. It's a beautiful oasis with a lush waterfall deep in it's valley. Some wonder if David wrote the 23rd Psalm there. After that it was to the Quamran caves and then to Jericho - where Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus' house. Finally, before driving to Tiberias for the night, we stopped at Beth-shan where Saul met his demise.
A theme that jumped out at me today was "loyalty". When Saul pursues David to En Gedi, David sneaks into Saul's camp and instead of killing him he cuts off a corner of his cloak. He shows mercy out of loyalty to his King. Later when Saul is killed and his body is desecrated by the Philistines, it is the "valiant men" of Jabesh-gilled who sneak into the Philistine city and retrieve their bodies and bring them back to their home for a proper burial. They do this because earlier Saul showed them mercy and defended their town from attack by a much greater force.
Never forget a friend. Never forget your loyalties and who's been loyal to you.
Any friend of yours you're in danger of forgetting?
Shalom

Israel Day 2

If you're looking for Day 1 there isn't one. Too tired to write yesterday. After getting off the plane yesterday we drove up to Caesarea on the Medterranean. Saw the remnants of the city that Herod built. Drove back to Tel Aviv, had dinner and crashed.
Today it was on to Joppa, then to the valley Elah, where David and Goliath squared off, and then on to the Bet Guvrin-Maresha National Park (amazing underground dwellings, cisterns and wine presses). We finished with a drive to the Dead Sea where we swam/floated, sat by the pool, ate dinner and then retired for the night.
Caesarea and Joppa factor greatly in the life of Peter and, in turn, our own. Joppa is where Peter had his vision of eating both the clean and unclean animals and Caesarea is where Cornelius is the one Peter was called to and, as a result, became the first Gentile convert. Joppa is also the place that Jonah left by ship to flee the call of God.
Consider Joppa: where two men who received visions - Jonah and Peter - and the two different paths taken. One fled and the other pursued the call. Life is filled with those choices. What to do with the sense that God wants us to do something - especially if it means reaching out to persons unknown, unfamiliar and unlikely to welcome us?
What's God asked you to do lately?

Israel

On my way to Israel on Friday. Posts to come. Stay tuned.