From Temple Mount to Garden of the Tomb

Another early morning and another jam packed day here in Jerusalem.

We started our day at the Temple Mount, inside the walls and on the 'gentile' portion of the plaza. This area is predominately Muslim as their mosque is the central focus of the square - on the sight when the Temple once stood.

There was time to walk around and absorb the proportions of the square (very large) and to look at the various gates and gardens. The mosque is a place that Jews and Christians are not allowed, so no one got the opportunity to enter there.

Our next stop was the top of the Mount of Olives. This is the mountain where Jesus' disciples untied the young colt that Jesus rode in to the gates on Palm Sunday. From there he took on righteous anger toward the money changers and merchants doing dirty business in the shadow of His Father's house.

A short walk down the Mt. of Olives was the garden of Gethsemene. Obviously, this is a very large tourist attraction and we were 'shepherded" around that busy square by Ronnie and Mr. Schenck. The garden was lovely, filled with very old olive trees and flowering plants. However, at the pace we were keeping, it was hard to stop and contemplate.

Another short walk up the hill brought us to the North gate, called the Sheep Gate of the Lion's Gate. Just inside the gate there was a ritual cleansing pool called Bethesda. Here, inside this beautiful square we had some time to sit down and enjoy the story. This is the pool that the lame man was lying beside when Jesus came up and healed him. All this was done on Shabbat (Sabbath) and the leaders of the church were outraged.

After our brief devotions on the meaning and boundaries of Sabbath, we entered the church that is built on the site to commemorate the miracle. This stunning church has nearly perfect acoustics. Joel Westa led us in singing "Amazing Grace" and a few other songs. This time in song was a great release for all the praise that we wanted to offer God for His gift to us.

Now it was time to leave the Tempe mount and enter the old city of Jerusalem and walk the Via Dolorosa toward the traditional site of Christ's death. Walking this narrow and winding street gave all of us a sense of the burden Jesus bore physically under the weight of that cross. Here we were, a healthy, strong and unbeaten group of people, and it was still an effort to climb those streets. There were - and are - vendors on every side, pressing in.

The end to our struggle up that wild street ended in a beautiful church called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is another bustling place with tourists and pilgrims from the six different active churches housed there. For every sight and touch there were long lines to be borne, but the wait was worth it to touch the stone they believe was the one on which Jesus' body was laid to prepare for burial.

On our way back out of the old city, Ronnie gave us a tour through the Cardo, which was the old city's marketplace. Here we passed through Muslim (the majority), Christian, and Jewish sectors. There were remarkable differences in the shops and streets between each sector, so telling the apart was very easy.

Finally, after being jostled and accosted on all sides by the vendors, we made it out the Damascus Gate onto the lawn. Having passed by several food vendors, we all were ready to eat. Expecting that we would be having pita sandwiches - Meier pulled another surprise: Pizza!
Cheers were heard from everyone until their mouths were full.

Fortified once again by food, we walked a short distance to a place called the "Garden Tomb." Stepping inside was like finding an oasis in a modern desert. The market, the Via Dolorosa, the Mt. of Olives - all were loud and bustling. Here was quiet calm for a time.

The significance of this place was that modern history believes that this might be more accurately Jesus' burial place than was traditionally held. Archaeology has found a lot of evidence that seems to bear this reasoning. This clearly was someone with wealth,, and it is very nearby what could easily be imagined as 'the place of the skull'.

The British have control of this little gem and have done a terrific job keeping it maintained and of planting beautiful flowers and shrubs all around. Here Mr. Schenck led us into Psalm 22, a Psalm that foreshadows many of the words that Christ used when hanging on the cross.

The rest of the afternoon was free time to shop and enjoy the old city markets that we had passed through twice. I chose to not re-live the sights and smells, but several others did and had a fine time.

This evening we had our Farewell Dinner. Meier took us on a short bus ride to the University Of Jerusalem where Mr. Schenck had spent time learning in years past. While on the tour there we entered the kitchen and ran smack into one of NPC's alumni: Alexis Jones (class of 2011). It was a pleasant surprise for everyone.

Another 'short' walk up the hill (this is really tongue-in-cheek) we arrived at an Armenian Restaurant for dinner. Several salads were in share format along with the fresh, warm bread. For the main course we had kebab and chicken with rice. It was delicious.

On the bus ride home we realized that Ronnie would not be with us tomorrow morning and that we would be saying good-bye tonight. Each of us took a moment in the lobby to thank him for the excellent job he did in getting us everywhere, and educating us along the way.

The sacrifice that his family makes for his job are great. He is often on the road with groups and missing family time. We met his wife and son when they drove out to Galilee last Saturday (their Shabbat) to spend a little time with him.

Ronnie and all the Jewish people we encountered along the way have made being in this country a pleasure. We felt safe and cared for every step of the way. They are truly ambassadors for this nation as well as for the concept of Peace in a turbulent time.

How could we truly begin to thank Mr. Schenck? His willingness and passion for doing these trips is evident in all that he says and does. The teaching we have had along the way has been both inspirational and educational. We all have a lot to unpack from this trip, and I imagine that it will take years to reflect on it all.

Our wake up call is set for 3:45 am and it is time for a little sleep.

Shalom from Jerusalem.