Darkness and light

If I could give a title to our day I would call it “darkness and light”. Today we found ourselves in many dark tunnels with limited light. First was the Rabbinic Tunnels, which lead you under a bridge that went to the Temple Mount and along side the Western Temple Mount Wall. Second, we found ourselves traveling down the water filled Hezekiah Tunnel this was built by King Hezekiah to divert the water to safety from the approaching Assyrian army. The Tunnel led us from the City of David or Ancient Jerusalem towards the pool of Siloam. Lastly, we journeyed back up a tunnel that was a 1st century road it was narrow and cramped in many places. When we emerged it led us near the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount.

After leaving the darkness of the tunnel leading us near the temple, I was reminded of a story that happened near the Southern Steps. It was from John 9 where Jesus meets a blind man. He places mud on his eyes and tells him to walk to the pool of Siloam to clean the mud and he will be healed. The blind man may have traveled the very path that we walked this morning but instead of with flashlights he was in utter darkness. He makes it to the pool and cleans the mud and to his excitement he sees light for the first time in his life. I could not image the joy he must have felt to leave the darkness to finally join those who see the light. We spent mere minutes in the dark and damp tunnel and what a feeling it is to remerge to the light but he spending a life in darkness could now see.

Later we left the Old City and made our way to a couple museums, first the Israeli Museum and then Yad Vashem. In Yad Vashem we again see this dark and light come into play. Yad Vashem is a Museum in memory of the horrific event of the Holocaust. Inside this Museum we see the Darkness of evil that would attack and kill the Jewish people and dehumanize them but we also see a light, a light of a people who overcome such a tragedy and rebuild a nation that is prospering and overcoming such a horrible crime against them.

Today has truly been a great day traveling through the sacred city of Jerusalem!

Brennan Conklin
Executive Director of Ministry
Real Life Church Santa Clarita, CA