These trees have stories to tell

Day seven in the unceasingly amazing country of Israel is coming to a close. It was a day chalked full of significant sites, such as the Mount of Olives, Caiaphas' house, and Bethlehem. All sites within and near the great city of Jerusalem. But let's focus in on one particular location, Gethsemane.

Located slightly below the city's impressive walls and historic East Gate is this quiet garden with ancient olive trees and a Catholic church. Even amongst a heavily populated city and the constant throng of visitors from all over the world, this parcel of land has a sense of peace and deep wisdom. These trees have stories to tell; they have witnessed much. Their trunks are thick and hallowed with age. But new shoots, new life grow from them to this day. Surely, this new life that springs from within echoes of our Lord. And scriptures that speak of abiding come to life.

Written by Roo Foster

Of all the sites we visited today, only one stands out, and it’s not the one I would expect. We entered Jerusalem today, the first time we have been in a city since we arrived. But Jerusalem isn’t just any city, it’s a huge, densely populated city. The sites we visited were touristy and filled with people, a stark contrast to our quiet and isolated trip up until this point. It was a bit of a culture shock, to say the least. We visited David’s Tomb, the Upper Room, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Bethlehem. But these sites had all been built upon, with grandiose cathedrals and churches sitting on the exact locations of these powerful and humble moments of Jesus.

The site that grabbed my heart the most today came unexpectedly at Caiaphas’ house. For here, the dungeon prison was discovered, the exact one from the time of Christ, the ‘Sacred Pit’ that is believed to have housed Jesus the night he was arrested. We entered that pit, and in the depths of the ground, surrounded by the cool dungeon walls, the love of Jesus poured over me. You see, our Jesus sat in that dungeon, after being betrayed by Judas and arrested in the Garden. He sat alone, and aware of what was to come. And he did it for me, and you. Those cold, dank, quiet walls of the sacred pit showed me the love of Jesus. It was not the cathedrals or the ornate architecture of man, but the empty barren cold rock walls of the dungeon. For that is the way our God works; humbly, in the shadows, in the quiet wind.

Written by Ashley Serin