Gallicantu

Today we celebrate the life and witness of Simon Peter. The gospel reading set for today is Matthew 16:13-19 and recounts Peter’s insight when he declares Jesus to be the Messiah at Caesarea Philippi. At this moment of confession Jesus commissions Peter for his future ministry. I’ve visited the place traditionally believed to be the site of Peter’s confession and it is an impressive setting with a cliff face pitted with cultic shrines. The place is also the origin of the Banais, one of the sources of the river Jordan.

When I think of Peter another place and building come to mind and this is perhaps my favourite church in the Holy Land. St Peter en Gallicantu is situated on the east slope of Mt Zion and is believed to be the site of the house of the priest Caiaphas. The views from the site are stunning and the building is beautiful, decorated with some expertly realised mosaics. Gallicantu means 'cock crow' and the church takes it’s name from the incident during Jesus’ last hours before crucifixion when Peter denied that he even knew the very one he had proclaimed Messiah (Matthew 26:69-75). In the courtyard by the church is a sculpture depicting the scene of Peter’s denial and the sanctuary roof has a golden cockerel which burns in the sunshine.

The reason I find myself drawn to Gallicantu rather than Caesarea Philippi is that this is the Peter I more easily identify with; Peter the denier rather than Peter the confessor. Yet, at this moment of greatest failure I am reminded of the overwhelming grace of God because the story for Peter doesn’t end in the courtyard at Gallicantu. When Peter meets the risen Lord he is forgiven, restored and empowered to fulfil the calling he first received at Caesarea Philippi. So Peter is an inspiration, not because of his success but because of his failure and because God could use even someone like Peter to build his church.

Not giving a fig: #EasterLIVE

I’ve been enjoying following and taking part in EasterLIVE, a Twitter stream telling the story of Easter through the eyes of different characters. My main character is a pub landlord called Benny who has hired out his upper room to a group of Galileans for a party on Thursday night. However, I became rather side tracked yesterday and found myself reflecting on the experience of a fig tree.

On Monday of Holy Week Jesus and the disciples head from Bethany towards Jerusalem and the Temple. This is what happens according to Mark 11:

¹² The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree,“May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

The story continues the next morning as Jesus and the disciples again return to Jerusalem:

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

In order to understand the story we need to recognise the literary structure that Mark frequently uses in his gospel. Mark often pairs incidents together so that they interpret each other in what can be called a framing technique. The narrative begins with Incident A, Incident B then takes place and finally Incident A continues and concludes. In Mark 11 the fig tree is Incident A and what takes place in between the beginning and conclusion of the story is Incident B Jesus prophetic action in the Temple (Mark 11:15-19). The fig tree therefore symbolises Jerusalem and the Temple and Jesus’s words and actions are a prophetic judgement on them.

But I can’t help wondering how the fig tree owner would have felt when he discovered the fate of his property.

Simeon and Anna

This is probably my favourite picture from my trip to Jerusalem in 2008. It was taken at about 6:30am in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the Edicule (the tomb of Christ) and is of a Coptic priest reading the scriptures by candlelight. When I saw the priest I immediately thought of Simeon faithfully waiting for the consolation of Israel in the Temple.

Today is Candlemas when we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and remember the witness of the devout Simeon and the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:22-40).

When Simeon saw the Christ child he uttered the words known as the Nunc Dimittis. Anna responded by thanking God and talking about Jesus to those who were waiting for God’s deliverance. Two elderly, faithful servants of God, trusting him and waiting for his time and glimpsing the glory of God revealed in Jesus as they approached the end of their lives.

Candlemas is one of those pivotal Christian festivals when we look back to the birth of Christ and forward to his crucifixion. This painting by Bartolome Esteban Murillo is titled The Infant Christ Asleep on the Cross (1670s).

The shocking image depicts the Christ child asleep on the cross with a skull lying beside him. Both these symbols directly refer to his forthcoming sacrifice and are intended to emphasise the notion that Christ was born in order to die for the world.

Doug Chaplin has created his own images for Candlemas. Maggi Dawn and Tim Goodbody have also posted interesting reflections on the festival.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Nunc Dimittis 1662 Book of Common Prayer

holocaust memorial day 2010

One of my most powerful and moving experiences in recent years was a visit I made in December 2008 to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. I have many pictures taken that day but I don’t really need to look at them as the images from the visit are all too vivid in my mind.

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated internationally on 27th January each year. This date was chosen as it is the anniversary of the day in 1945 on which the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp – Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust urges everyone in the UK to pause and reflect on what can happen when racism, prejudice and exclusionary behaviour are left unchecked. On HMD we take the time to see how the lessons of the past can play a part in our communities today. The theme for HMD 2010 is The Legacy of Hope.

There are various events organised to mark HMD 2010 and one of the most striking is the 6 million + installation at Ripon Cathedral. Local secondary schools, colleges and supporters across the country and Kirklees Museums & Galleries, based in West Yorkshire, collected over 6 million buttons to illustrate the industrial scale of the Holocaust that took place during WWII. The '+' refers to Jewish and non-Jewish individuals who were never counted, as well as people who have died across the world in conflicts and genocides since the Second World War.

My post for HMD 2009 along with some of the pictures I took at Yad Vashem can be found here.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's HMD 2010 statement: The Legacy of Hope.

A Prayer said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank:

God, you created us all in your own likeness.
We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow feeling and understanding;
show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships,
both by what we have in common and by things in which we differ,
we may come to know you more fully in your creation;
for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.

hanukka

This evening marks the beginning of the Jewish festival of Hanukka – the eight day festival of lights. The celebration traces its origins back over 2,000 years to when the Seleucid leader, Antiochus IV, invaded Israel and attempted to force the Jews to assimilate into his empire and to renounce their religion and culture. Under the leadership of Judah Maccabee the Jews revolted and eventually drove out the Seleucid armies.

The Hanukkah celebration of lighting the menorah traces its origin to a miracle that occurred after the victory of the Maccabees. The Temple in Jerusalem had been defiled by the invading Seleucid army. It was traditional to light a special lamp in the Temple, called a menorah, with olive oil, but all of the vials of oil were made impure, with the exception of one. According to Hanukkah history, the one vial of oil burned for eight days until pure oil could be obtained for the Temple. In gratitude, the Jews began lighting small menorahs in their homes to commemorate this miracle and the victory.

This morning on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks spoke about Hanukka and went on to say this:

But there's a beautiful law in Judaism, and it applies to a day like today, Friday. On the Friday of Hanukkah we light two kinds of lights, for the festival and for the Sabbath, both of which begin at nightfall. What if we only have one candle? What do we light it as: a Hanukkah light or a Sabbath light? It can't be both.

The answer is: we light it as a Sabbath light, because the Sabbath light symbolizes peace in the home. And in Judaism, even the smallest fragment of peace takes precedence over even the greatest victory in war.

The first picture above is of a replica of the 7 branch Menorah from the second Temple which stands in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem. The second Menorah is the traditional 9 branch Menorah used to celebrate Hanukkah.

last year in Jerusalem

During my sabbatical last year I spent Advent in Jerusalem and Galilee and it was an experience I will never forget. As a way of letting family and friends know what I was doing I tried to keep a daily blog and I also found it a very helpful way of reflecting on the experience. The blogs from my trip can be found starting here and some of my photos here.

I continue to think about the people I met and the places I visited and hope one day to return. I realise that during the last year the situation has continued to change: the conflict in Gaza that started just after my return to the UK; the removal of Palestinians from East Jerusalem; the ongoing settlement and infrastructure building programme and the development of the security wall / barrier are just a few of the factors impacting on the land and population. From time to time I also think about my fellow pilgrims and enjoy receiving intermittent emails from them.

A few Sundays ago the set Gospel reading was from Mark 13; Jesus speaking about the destruction of the Temple and I had a vivid recollection of touching some of the huge stones lying in a pile at the site of the Temple in the Old City. The next day several of my companions on the trip, who minister in the United States, emailed to say that they had preached on the same experience. Just a small example of the way in which the visit has brought the scriptures alive in a fresh way.

I brought back some small stones from different sites around the country and my favourite is from the shore of lake Galilee; nothing remarkable but the stone fits comfortably in my closed hand and is a reminder of the place and a helpful aid to prayer.

During my time in the Holy Land I spent some time reflecting on whether I was a tourist or pilgrim. A year later I realise the profound impact the place has had on me and on my faith and continue to be thankful for the opportunity I had to spend this time last year in Jerusalem.

holocaust memorial day

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) which commemorates the tragic loss of life in the genocides of World War II, in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. HMD is held on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. I took these pictures at Yad Vashem Holcaust Memorial in Jerusalem in December. Information about the HMD Trust can be found here. My post about my visit to Yad Vashem can be found here.

Entrance to the Children's Memorial

Pillar of Heroism

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

The Last March

holy land pictures - advent 2008

I've finally managed to put online some roughly edited photographs from my trip to the Holy Land during Advent 2008; they can be viewed on my Picasa Web Album site here. Thank you to all those who commented on my postings from the Holy Land, it was very encouraging, and I hope to post some final reflections over the next couple of weeks as my sabbatical draws to an end.

holy land reflections (1) - layers

Excavations at southern wall of Temple Mount

In the film Shrek there is a scene where Shrek, the ogre, and his faithful sidekick Donkey are discussing Shrek’s personality. Shrek explains that he is more complex than might at first appear, he has layers. One of the most striking features of the Holy Land and in particular Jerusalem is that it is a place of many layers. These layers are most obviously visible in the archaeological excavations where one can see the stratification laid bare. A good example of this layering is the dig at Jericho where in the first part of the C20th various archaeologists, most notably Garstang and then Kenyon, investigated the city walls and explored the relationship between the finds and the Biblical record. I commented on the site at Jericho on a previous post and there is a good summary of the site here.

Excavation at Jericho revealing stratification and base of a watch tower.

Another sense of layering can be seen at the religious sites which over time have been regarded as holy by various faiths. At these sites one can see different holy places built one upon another. In some cases as one faith replaced another so religious buildings were destroyed and the rubble used in the construction of another holy place on top. The best example of this I saw was at the Temple Mount where excavations have now revealed the street level of the Second Temple (538 B.C. – 70 A.D.) and Roman (70 - 325 A.D.) periods. At this site are also remains from the Byzantine (325 – 634 A.D.), Umayyad (660 – 1073 A.D.), Crusader (1099 – 1187 A.D.), Ayyubid (1187 – 1229 A.D.), Mamluk (1250 – 1516 A.D.) and Ottoman (1516 – 1917 A.D.) periods. Another example is at the Cenacle, traditionally considered the site of the Upper Room where the Last Supper was celebrated. This site is now the remains of a Crusader church which became a mosque and then synagogue. It is an important site for Jews as it is considered to be the site of the Tomb of David.

As a result of this layering of holy places a great amount of sensitivity and restraint needs to be exercised by the various communities. I was particularly impressed at the church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Abu-Ghosh to see the way in which the church was modestly decorated out of respect to Judaism. Judaism regards it as an important religious site; Abinadab’s house where the Ark resided for twenty years before David moved it to Jerusalem. This sensitivity has not always been evident and on occasions the consequences have been explosive. One of the most infamous examples was Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Dome of the Rock as part of an election campaign in September 2000; the consequences were a battle between Palestinians and the Israeli security forces. Inevitably there are conflicting accounts of this incident and the motives of those caught up in it but it serves to highlight the way in which a site, regarded as central to Judaism and Islam and as special to Christians, carries many layers of history and significance.

My personal impression of the situation is that each of the religious communities is on the whole sensitive to the others and seeks to live with an uneasy accommodation. Where else in the world can one see so many sites of religious significance literally on top of each other? One of the most amusing stories I heard was that when the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem they thought the Dome of the Rock was actually Herod’s Temple and so didn’t destroy it but placed an altar there and converted it into a church! Had they realised it was a mosque it probably would have been reduced to rubble nearly a millennium ago.

Chapel of the Finding of the Cross: Church of the Resurrection.

A third type of layering is evident at Christian sites where over time different churches have been constructed, reflecting successive periods of the Holy Land’s Christian past. At the Pool of Bethesda the excavations reveal evidence of a large Byzantine church and then a Crusader church built on its foundations. However, the best example is the Church of the Resurrection constructed on the traditional site of Golgotha and the Tomb of Jesus. The site, a quarry outside the city walls, was initially covered as part of Hadrian’s reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Venus was built there. Following his conversion, Constantine ordered the clearing of the area and the construction of a church, though his mother Helena gets the credit for the work. Three interconnecting churches were built and completed towards the end of C4th.

The church was damaged and rebuilt in C7th and was a protected Christian site under Moslem rule until C10th when it was badly damaged by fire during a riot and then in 1009 A.D. its destruction was ordered by Al-Hakim. All that was left were those parts of the building that could not be easily destroyed or removed. An expensive rebuilding project took place in the C11th and was completed in 1048 A.D. by Constantine IX. It comprised a large open court with five small chapels and the original basilica remained in ruins. In the mid C12th the Crusaders began to refurbish the church site and brought it together under one roof. Franciscan Friars renovated the church in C16th but it was badly damaged in another fire at the beginning of C19th. Further renovations have taken place since then and include the restoration of the dome in the mid 1990’s. As I have mentioned in a previous post, some of the church, including the Edicule, are desperately in need of restoration but it seems that the controlling denominations can’t agree on what to do.

Cultic shrines at Caesarea Philippi.

There is one more sense of layering that I was aware of during my time in the Holy Land. It was a real privilege to read the scriptures while visiting sites traditionally associated with those passages. The geography and history of these places gave me a fresh appreciation for, and understanding of, the text. Whether it was standing on the shore at Galilee, looking at the cultic shrines at Caesarea Philippi, walking on the Street of the Cheesemakers beside the Temple Mount, looking across at the Old City from the Mount of Olives or sitting quietly under an olive tree in Capernaum, it was as if I began to experience passages of scripture in 3D. Moving about these places grounded my reading of the Bible and at times challenged the images I had previously formed in my mind; it helped me to discover new layers in very familiar stories and incidents.

One of the tasks pursued by Biblical scholars for many decades has been the attempt to strip back the layers of the Bible to get to the real or historical Jesus and to uncover the writers and communities behind the scriptures. Personally, the rich experiences of visiting the Holy Land and reading the Bible while there have underlined the need to accept, appreciate and enjoy the many layers of the land, the places, the traditions and the Bible; to embrace the complexity and diversity and to dig deep rather than be content with the superficial.

jerusalem (15) - 10 commandments for visiting the holy land

Brother David: a view from Dominus Flevit.

Here are my ten commandments for visiting the Holy Land.

1. Don't shave before floating in the Dead Sea.
2. Don't make eye contact with a trader. If you do he's already made a sale.
3. Try and meet as many local people as possible (but avoid 2 & 6).
4. Don't cross your legs in a Syriac Orthodox church. It's very rude.
5. Be flexible. The situation is very fluid.
6. Don't pull out a map in the old city of Jerusalem. It is amazing how many 'friends' you suddenly make.
7. Don't ask for a cheeseburger in a kosher McDonalds.
8. Respect the sites and traditions of other faiths (see 7 & 9).
9. Don't try to take a Bible onto Temple Mount.
10. If 2 happens, haggle.
    

Dead Sea Beach

U2: With A Shout (Jerusalem) - October

Oh, and where do we go
Where do we go from here
Where to go
To the side of a hill
Blood was spilt
We were still looking
At each other

Oh, we're goin' back there
Jerusalem Jerusalem

Shout, shout
With a shout, shout it out
Shout...shout it out...

I wanna go
To the foot of the Messiah
To the foot of he who made me see
To the side of a hill
Where we were still
We were filled
With our love

We're gonna be there again
Jerusalem Jerusalem

Shout, shout
With a shout
Shout...
With a shout

jerusalem (14) - back home

Last lunch with some of my fellow pilgrims at the Austrian Hospice.

Friday 19th December. Well I survived the 12 hours at Ben Gurion Airport, the security checks were nowhere near as daunting as I had been led to believe and I was pleasantly surprised to discover the plane home was a 747. I had an aisle seat and no one sitting next to me so plenty of room even though the flight was fairly full. The other passenger in my row was a young Jewish Israeli called Omri (aged 15) who was born in London but now lives in Israel; he was travelling to stay with friends in London to celebrate Christmas. Omri told me that one of the things he misses most in Israel is bacon rolls.

You have a large choice of films to select from on a jumbo and I decided to avoid those I am likely to watch with Kate. I ended up with Wanted and then Tropic Thunder; my recommendation is to avoid them as neither were any good but it meant I could relax and switch off. A two hour tube and train ride across London and then Kate and the kids came to pick me up from the station. Slight problem, they weren't expecting me for another 24hrs! My fault as I had told them I would be home Thursday not Wednesday. It was fantastic to see them and I began to realise just how much I had been missing them while away. The kids had just finished their last day of term so we have plenty of time to catch up over the next few days. Went to bed early to catch up on some sleep and when I woke up began to wonder whether the last three weeks had really happened. I missed hearing the call to prayer and the weather at home is obviously cooler, though not as cold as I was expecting.

One of the things I am aware of is a heightened sensitivity to the situation in the Middle East and I find myself picking out news stories about the area almost subconsciously. This morning I came across an interesting article in The Guardian about an exhibition of cartoons on the Israel - Palestinian conflict at London's Political Cartoon Gallery and I think I will try to get to see it. The cartoon printed in The Guardian was particularly disturbing.

I've got about 1,000 pictures to edit and may put them up on a website in case anyone wants to have a look. In the meantime I'm ploughing through the Christmas cards and accompanying letters that have arrived while I've been away and I am frantically trying to remember who I haven't sent a card to.

Shalom.

Dusk at St. George's College, Jerusalem.

jerusalem (13) - leaving emmaus

View of the hills of Jerusalem from Abu-Ghosh

Tuesday 15th December. The last day of our course began after breakfast with a reflection on Luke’s account of Jesus’ resurrection appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35. Then it was time to jump on the bus and head off for Emmaus. At this point a problem became apparent; there are now four possible sites for Biblical Emmaus! While travelling we explored the possibility of each location. The key issue is the distance from Jerusalem. Luke describes it as being 60 Stadia, translated as 7 miles, from Jerusalem and says that the disciples, Cleopas and another, returned to Jerusalem that night so it had to be relatively close. We visited two possible places. The first was the site of the town of Motza on a Roman Road about 3.5 miles from Jerusalem. There are some excavations under way on the ancient site and we had a brief walk on the Roman Road. The problem with this site is the distance unless Luke was referring to a round trip.

Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant: Abu-Ghosh

The next site visited was Abu-Ghosh a town approximately 7 miles from Jerusalem. This was the place identified by the Crusaders as the Biblical Emmaus and there is a Crusader church there which is considered by some to be one of the best preserved churches from that period in the Holy Land. Unfortunately, the church was not open when we turned up so we didn’t get to have a look round. Instead we went to the the Church of Notre Dame de l'Arche de l'Alliance (The Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant). The site is identified as the house of Abinadab where the Ark of the Covenant resided for 20 years before David took it to Jerusalem. Mary is considered to be the Ark of the New Covenant as the bearer of the Lord’s presence in the person of Jesus. It is a beautifully peaceful place with shaded olive tree grounds and a simply decorated but nevertheless impressive church. One of the reasons for the plainness of the décor is the recognition that it is also a holy Jewish site and the church does not want to give undue offense.

Icon in Church of Our lady of the Ark of the Covenant.

It was outside the church, overlooking the town and across to Jerusalem, that we celebrated our final Eucharist as a group. Led by Brother David, the focus was on the sense of Jesus having revealed himself to the disciples then leaving them to move on. This was an appropriate way for us to end our pilgrimage together as we began to prepare to leave Jerusalem and return home.

On returning to Jerusalem we had a free afternoon before coming together for the evening which began at the Dean’s apartment with some drinks, a chance to thank those who have so ably led us, presentations and some entertainment. The evening finished with a meal in a local restaurant and then saying goodbye to those who had early flights to catch. I feel really fortunate as my flight is only five and a half hours, some people will be travelling for nearly two days.

I spent Tuesday packing and having a final walk around the old city with some of the other course members. We had a relaxed and enjoyable lunch in the garden of the Austrian Hospice on the corner of the Via Dolorosa. I say relaxed but there is a minaret just opposite the hospice and the call to prayer which started up half way through our meal was extremely loud (though I managed to record it for future use). The weather was, like it has been throughout the course save a couple of cloudy days, warm and sunny. That’s been great for us as pilgrims, however, Jerusalem is in desperate need of rain as December has been unusually dry so far.

Brothers David & Robert: 'Are you sure he said cheesemakers?'

I’m writing this piece in Ben Gurion airport at just after 1am on Wednesday morning. My check in is at 5am so I thought I’d make good use of the time and the chairs are too uncomfortable to try and sleep. The good news is there is free Wi-Fi in the airport so I can post this straight away. Having been away from home for the last three weeks I’m looking forward to spending plenty of time with my wife and children over the Christmas period. I will continue to reflect on my time in the Holy Land over the next few weeks; there has been so much to absorb and process that I feel I need a bit of time before commenting in more depth on what I have learnt about the places and people of the Holy Land. I am sure it will take me a lot longer to fully appreciate all I have received during my time here.

I am particularly grateful to Stephen and Jill Need and to the staff at St. George’s College for their hospitality and running of an excellent course/pilgrimage. It has been said that St. George’s is one of the Anglican Communion’s best kept secrets and if my experience is anything to go by that certainly seems to be true. Brothers Robert and David from the Society of St. John the Evangelist were everything one could hope for in our chaplains; they ministered to us with deep spiritual insight and humour and have led us sensitively in worship and reflection. They gave to us much more than I could have hoped for or expected and I thank them for their generosity of time, energy and prayers.

For me the most important aspect of a pilgrimage is journeying with others and learning, sharing and growing together. We were quite a disparate group on the course and yet I believe we got on well together and our conversations and discussions were challenging, encouraging and affirming. At the start of the course I mentioned the question of whether I was a tourist or a pilgrim and it has been the people on the course, as much as the places I have been to, that have helped me to feel that I have been a pilgrim, with a bit of tourism thrown in. Above all I believe we have experienced in community God’s presence, grace and love and that has been a great way to spend Advent.

Shalom.

jerusalem (12) - remembering

The Kidron Valley with Jewish cemetery and Tomb of Zecheriah

Sunday 14th December. As I mentioned in my post last night, today was to be more relaxed but didn’t quite turn out that way. In the morning I decided to head through the old city to the lower southern side and visit the City of David excavations outside the walls. Unfortunately, I had chosen a time when several parties of school children were visiting the site with teachers and so I gave up as I didn’t have the time to queue. I was surprised to see that with every party of children was at least one armed teacher/parent/guardian; armed not with a side arm but an automatic rifle. I wonder what impact this has on the children, however, given that each will be required to serve in the army I guess guns are part of everyday life.

School children with armed guard (4th from left)

My change of plan was to walk along the Kidron valley to get a closer look at the tombs and a different perspective on the Mount of Olives. One feature of the valley is the extraordinary cemeteries to the right of the Mount of Olives, covered in thousands of tombs. This is the favoured spot of burial for Jews because it is close to the Golden Gate in the wall of Temple Mount. This gate is blocked up but will be opened when the Messiah comes and the dead shall rise to greet him. People want to be as near as possible and consequently the tombs are very costly. Robert Maxwell is buried here; no doubt his tomb was purchased with money scammed from Mirror Group pensioners. Having visited the churches of the Mt of Olives on Friday, looking up at them again from the valley brought back thoughts of the last few hours of Jesus’ life and the powerful impression each church had left on me.

From left: Church of All Nations, Church of Mary Magdalene & Dominus Flevit

In the afternoon a group of us visited Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. It is difficult to express one’s reaction to this place and the story it tells; hard to process the unfolding horror; shaming to be confronted with the anti-Semitism fostered by Christianity down through the centuries; humiliating to reflect on the failure of so many to do anything before it was too late. I mentioned to Brother Robert, near the beginning of the course, that I found it difficult to see the Western Wall as a place of prayer and he suggested it as a place to pray for forgiveness for what we have done to the Jews. I walked through the halls, looked at the photographs, films and artefacts, and some of the material was familiar but the display of a pile of shoes from one of the concentration camps was shocking in its simplicity. Hearing the testimonies of survivors and reading about the unimaginable suffering of the ghettos and the camps, it is not difficult to understand Israel’s determination that this will never happen again. At the same time I noticed the groups of young Israeli conscripts being guided round the museum as part of their induction and couldn’t but speculate as to the impact this was intended to have on them. Is it to remember or is it also to harden their determination to defend their state and their people at all costs? I found myself thinking about the establishment of the ghettos and the image of the separation barrier/wall also came to mind.

Entrance to the Yad Vashem Museum

The most moving place for me was the Children’s Memorial in the gardens. You enter an underground space and a darkened room with a central pyramid structure and walkways around it. The structure and walkways are made of glass and filled with small white lights. The lights reflect off the surfaces and create a galaxy of points of light. As you walk around the structure a voice reads out the name and age of some of the 1.5 million children murdered. No photography is allowed inside the museum but no picture would do justice to the impact of this memorial. Outside is a sculpture which I was able to photograph. I didn’t look too closely at it when I took the picture but when preparing the photo for the blog I found I had to stop as tears filled my eyes; it isn’t only the sculpture but what it represents. I’ve seen some truly stunning pieces of art over the last couple of weeks and I have to say that none has had the impact on me that this did.

Sculpture outside the Children's Memorial

The last visit of the day was to The Shrine of the Book, a relatively small museum dedicated to an extraordinary treasure. The first display one encounters is an impressive model of Second Temple Jerusalem. However, the focal point of the museum is the Dead Sea Scrolls which I mentioned in my post about Qumran. The main hall describes the scrolls and their significance and the centre piece is a facsimile of the Scroll of Isaiah, the only complete scroll recovered. In an air conditioned side room an original section of another scroll, the Scroll of the Temple, is displayed.

Model of Second Temple Jerusalem

Display of the Scroll of Isaiah

Back at the college we enjoyed another excellent dinner prepared by the chef Joseph, with the added surprise of a birthday cake for Stephen, Dean of St. George’s and our course director. This was followed by a time to share reflections on the course and our experiences. I will post more about my personal reflections at another time. At this point I’ll finish with a prayer from this evening's Compline.

God of all mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
opposing your will in our lives,
we have denied your goodness in each other,
in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the evil that enslaves us,
the evil we have done,
and the evil done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through our Saviour Jesus Christ,
that we may abide in your love
and serve only your will. Amen.

Shalom.

View from Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

Sign on the ticket office window at The Shrine of the Book.

jerusalem (11) - the way of the cross

Station 13: The Deposition. Mosaic behind the stone of unction in the Church of the Resurrection.

Saturday 13th December. Another 5:30am wake up and then down to the old city to walk The Way of the Cross (stations of the cross). No photos as I wanted to focus on the walk and fully engage with the worship. The Brothers, Robert and David, had developed a liturgy for us to use and we began at the First Station on the Via Delorosa. Even though it was early in the morning, traders were already beginning to move about and we had to watch out for vehicles speeding through the narrow streets. As we neared the Church of the Resurrection the streets became busier; watching school children dashing along with their back packs I found myself praying for my two children back home. For the final four stations we stayed on the roof of the church next to the Ethiopean monastery as it would have been impossible to do this inside given the services, tourists and pilgrims at the various stations. However, we had time afterwards to go inside for our own prayerful reflection. I found myself sitting in the Latin Calvary, relatively quiet to my surprise as the mass had ended, and taking in the mosaic representations on the ceiling that I hadn’t really noticed before.

Latin Calvary mosaics

Breakfast at Papa Andrea's was the now familiar fare, a mixture of salads, cheeses, olives, bread and preserves and the ubiquitous eggs (still not a patch on the ones my girls lay at home). I’d been here earlier in my stay as they have a roof terrace with great views of the city and their coffee is good. They also have a large inflatable Father Christmas and I was tempted to release it just so I could get a photo of Father Christmas floating over the Dome of the Rock!

Papa Andrea's

The rest of the day was free to wander and shop; I picked up a few bargains after much haggling. I also managed to buy some stoles with the Jerusalem Cross design for a colleague and myself. (No more requests please my bag is full and seriously over weight).

The only other item on the schedule was an early evening talk from a representative of the Palestinian community giving the third of our perspectives on life in the Holy Land. The three talks we have heard have all been very informative and I have been impressed by the real desire for peace and to find the way forward. Clearly much depends on what Obama will do and also what happens in the forthcoming Israeli elections. I still don’t feel ready to post my own reflections on what I have seen and heard about the situation but meeting people and hearing their stories has been invaluable.

I’ve just finished reading Richard North Patterson’s novel Exile, another of his legal dramas this time set against the backdrop of Israel and the West Bank. I thought Patterson explored the complexities of the situation with sensitivity, balance and understanding. It was interesting to read his descriptions of places I have had the privilege of visiting as well as of areas where there was no chance of me going. I was not surprised when checking out the author’s note and acknowledgement to see an extensive reading list but more importantly a wide range of interviews and conversations with people directly involved in the situation. I could have done without his slightly Mills and Boone ending but still thought it a good timely read.

I’m looking forward to a lie in tomorrow and a more relaxed day, although having said that I’m off to visit the Shrine of the Book, The Model of Jerusalem and Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial tomorrow afternoon. I may try and visit the City of David excavations and Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the morning.
Shalom.

Anyone seen Brian?

jerusalem (10) - holy week

Our small band of pilgrims enter the Damascus Gate at Dawn

Friday 12th December. Up at 5:30am as a small group of us visited the Church of the Resurrection before breakfast. Really enjoyed walking through the old city at dawn, the streets were so quiet and still and we were able to see the place in a different light without the bustle of the people and markets. The Church of the Resurrection was, however, quite busy and there was a Catholic mass just beginning at Calvary. There were also more people at the tomb than on my previous visit. Nevertheless, there were some places of peace and solitude for prayer and these tended to be the little side chapels and other areas no one is much interested in. My favourite spot is the place known as the holding cell, where Jesus was kept just prior to his crucifixion. It is mesmerising to move from area to area and hear the services in different languages; priests in a variety of vestments reflecting the diversity of traditions, interweaving their liturgies like some elaborately choreographed opera.

A Coptic Priest by the Edicule at the Church of the Resurrection

After breakfast we headed for the Mount of Olives to follow some of the journey of Jesus during Holy Week. Beginning with the Palm Sunday Church at Bethphage, we spent time reading the account of Jesus’ Entry to Jerusalem on a Donkey, before reflecting on the contrast between the procession of Jesus and the procession of Pilate into Jerusalem. The church is a relatively humble place with simple frescos and an interesting mounting stone, thought to be from the crusader period. On the stone is the picture of a laughing donkey and you can only view it by looking at its reflection in a mirror.

Dominus Flevit

On to Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept) a tear shaped church commemorating Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. This is another Barluzzi church and through the window behind the altar one looks out across the Kidron valley to Jerusalem. The reading from Luke 19:41 led into a reflection led by Brother David and quiet prayerful singing.

The bare rock at Gethsemane

Down the road we entered the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and Barluzzi’s Church of All Nations also known as the Church of the Agony. The focal point of the church is a bare piece of rock where Jesus prayed to his Father before his arrest, while the disciples slept. It was one of those churches I found helpfully led me into prayer and, despite the visitors, there was a stillness about the place that I found very affecting. I have to agree with Brother Robert that Barluzzi really was a genius at rendering scripture in stone.

Ascent from Mary's Tomb (Orthodox)

Bit of a shock to the system for me at this point as we moved further along the base of the Mt of Olives to The Tomb of Mary. Much as I understand the importance of Mary, she has never been central to my devotions or worship and I struggle with some of the traditions that have developed about her over the centuries. It was an interesting place to visit and we spent time reading John’s account of Mary and the Beloved Disciple at the Cross John 19:25-27. The tomb is deep underground and empty as Catholics believe Mary was assumed into heaven (at least that is the assumption); leaving the church was a bit like emerging from a dark womb.

St. Mark's Syrian Orthodox Church - The Upper Room

Lunch was followed by a visit to the Syrian church of St. Mark’s in the old city. The Syrian Church believes that this is the site of Mark’s house, the place of the Last Supper and Pentecost and they claim the first church in Christianity. It was an extraordinary visit, not because of the church but a woman called Justina who showed us around. Justina shared with us stories of miracles she had witnessed at the icon of Mary in the church and then sang the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, as she said, the language of our Lord. She got very upset when a couple of our group crossed their legs while sitting in the church (a very rude gesture in her tradition), however, Justina was a great host and a tremendous evangelist. Eventually she took us down to the Upper Room (down because the city street level is much higher today than C1st AD) where she sang to us in Aramaic once more and then encouraged us to join in. By this stage we were pushed for time so set off to Mount Sion outside the southern wall and a visit to the Cenacle. This is the other site claimed as the place of the Last Supper and has a much older tradition associated with it. The place normally shown in photographs is part of a Crusader church, which became a Mosque and then a Synagogue. We read Paul’s account of The Last Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 before singing Eat This Bread.

Cenacle - traditional site of The Last Supper

The Cenacle is next to Dormition Abbey, the other site dedicated to Mary’s Assumption. This is a really imposing and dramatic building on the top of Mount Sion looking across to the old city and is a clear feature of the Jerusalem skyline. The Abbey is another church decorated with mosaics. There are also swathes of white plaster and I don’t know if this is because they ran out of money before completing the decoration or this was the original intention but for me it didn’t quite work. I’m prepared to forgive any shortcomings with the décor because they did have a decent Advent Wreath and serve a great cup of coffee in the cafeteria.

Advent Wreath Dormition Abbey

I enjoyed a wander through the old city as the sun set, watching the orthodox Jews running to their synagogues for the start of Shabbat and trying to get photos of their different hats and clothes as the light faded. I did manage a photo of the moon rising over Jerusalem, it really was a stunning sight. The rest of the evening was a relaxed affair; a briefing about departure and procedures at the airport, followed by dinner and then a short rehearsal of some of the liturgy we will be using tomorrow morning when we will be walking the Way of the Cross (another 6am departure!).
Shalom.

Moonrise over Jerusalem