Take Me to the Cross

Today has been a lighter day, beginning at the Garden Tomb, a place that the British keep up as a possible site for Calvary and the Empty Tomb. (If you want to know about the history of the place, Google it.) In my mind, when Holy Week comes around, my mind goes to the Garden Tomb as it looks like what I imagine the first century place of crucifixion and resurrection looks like. But, as the guide pointed out, ultimately it doesn't matter if this is the right place or not. The truth of the story is what matters. Wherever it happened, Jesus really was crucified and really was raised from death so that we could be saved and live forever. After touring the site, we shared Holy Communion in a quiet place. We sang, read the story of the death and resurrection from John, I shared a brief meditation, and Chris and I together offered the bread and the cup. It was a very moving time of worship for all.

After a brief stop at the hotel, we headed into the Old City to walk the Stations of the Cross. First we began at the Church of St. Anne, near the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a lame man. The pools were formerly quarries, and very deep. The Church nearby has the most beautiful acoustics I think I've ever heard, and we sat under its dome and sang "How Great Thou Art," "It Is Well" and "Alleluia." The sound just echoed into the heavens.

From there, we began the Stations of the Cross, remembering the death of Jesus. We walked along the Via Dolorosa (the "Way of Sorrows"), starting at the Lithostratos (pavement) where Jesus faced Pontius Pilate and received the sentence of crucifixion. In silence, we remembered Jesus' sacrifice for us. We ate lunch near the fourth station of the cross, at a little Armenian cafe that served pizza, shawerma and falafel. We then continued our walk, which was mostly uphill (and through the marketplace), ending up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional location of Calvary and the empty tomb. The church is ornate (Rachel says it's gaudy), which is why in my mind, though this church has the weight of tradition, I picture it as the Garden Tomb. We did go down into a little grotto that is under the hill of Calvary, and was able to touch the rock from below. This grotto was pretty well empty, and a great place to ponder the meaning of this place. The line around the tomb area was long, and it was too hot to stand in it. So we did not go into the "tomb," but the point is this anyway: the tomb is empty. He is not there, he is risen! Alleluia! After another brief, uphill walk, we exited the Old City through the Jaffa Gate and rode our bus back to the hotel.

One of the places we have not gotten to go again speaks to the divisions that exist even in this very traditional Old City. We were not able to go up on the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock. Since the last uprising, access to the Mount has been restricted. Non-Musilims are, apparently, only allowed up on the Mount for an hour each week. I'm thankful I've been up there before, but missed the chance to go there again. It reminds us again to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for the peace of the world, for the Prince of Peace to be allowed to reign in each life.

Tonight, a good dinner and rest. Tomorrow we're leaving early for the Dead Sea, beginning at Masada. Meanwhile, we're watching the news about the unrest in Egypt, the place we are headed in two days. Pray for the peace of Cairo while you're at it!

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