Day 4:We Belong to Each Other

I am losing steam. My body is worn out and I need to sleep. Today was not as busy as the past few days have been, but it was a lot more time in the sun and I think that wore me out. We started our day by going to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There we were able to finish the last few Stations of the Cross that ended in the laying of Jesus in the tomb. The most interesting aspect of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is how the different Christian traditions divide up and share the different sections of the church. The church is split between the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox, and the Roman Catholics, which here in Jerusalem are known as the Latin Catholics. Things have not always been cordial between these three different religions. In order to keep things smooth and to keep peace between everyone they formed an agreement known as the “Status Quo”. Which means that everything that each of the Christian religions had at that time, would keep those things and only those things. One of the most interesting examples of this was a ladder that sits on a ledge outside the main entrance. The Greek Orthodox were using the ladder to clean the windows before the agreement was signed. After it was signed they wanted to get the ladder, but the Armenian Orthodox said that the ledge was theirs, therefore they could not get the ladders. And so the ladder has sat on that ledge for over 100 years. Nothing is simple here in Jerusalem. We all may worship the same God, but the differences that we have can sometimes be barriers to seeing God in one another. Mother Teresa said that the problem with our world is that “we have forgotten that we belong to one another”.

What is it that keeps us from one another? How can we remember that we belong to each other?

Following the Church of the Holy Sepulcher we departed through the Mount of Olives to get a great view of the city, and then headed out of Jerusalem to head south east towards the Dead Sea and the town of Masada. Masada was the place where the Jews made their last stand against the Romans after the second temple was destroyed. It is a powerful sight to see, as you approach the mountains you find a flat mountaintop that was once Herod’s palace. Because of its high location it served as an excellent fortress and a safe hide out for the Jews after the Romans kicked them out of Jerusalem. It took the Romans seven years to get to the Jews, and finally the day before Masada was over run, the Jews decided to take their own lives rather than let themselves be taken. I got a chance to hike down the mountaintop, and it was tough, and so hot. But, I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a soldier at war in the region, fighting for your life or fighting to keep your family safe. It was humbling to be able to go down in the same way that the Jews and Romans would have done so 2000 years ago.

After the hike down from Masada we stopped at a Spa & Resort for a quick “float” in the Dead Sea, which was such a crazy experience, but enjoyable none the less. We then headed back two hours north to our hotel to listen to another speaker. Tonight’s speaker was an Israeli Arab Muslim, who works as a journalist of the Jerusalem Post. It was another challenging evening of eye opening experience and perspective. It was as if he spoke directly to all my thoughts and questions about the issues in Palestine and the current struggles of the people. What it boiled down to for him was the need to clarify that being Pro-Palestine is not being Anti-Israel. Unfortunately, what he has found, especially in universities across the US, is that most groups that are supporting Palestine do not fully know the realities of the situations in Gaza, due to the lack of quality and factual news sources coming from the region. He admitted to the fact that there is no freedom of the press in Gaza, and the fears of writing something that would look in anyway negative of the government can result in your disappearance. It is so easy for me to take for granted the freedom of speech that I have as a US Citizen, and one that also exists among the Israelis, which is why, as an Arab Muslim; he chooses to write for an Israeli newspaper. Because it is there that he is given a platform from which to speak, a voice to share with the masses and all those that want to hear. Unfortunately, not many people want to hear the realities, and I have to admit that I was one of them. I have come here with my biases, and my world has been rocked upside down. I am learning a lot, and it is very clear that God is with me every step of the way.


I returned to the Western Wall to pray again. My prayer is one for peace, for the City of Jerusalem, which finds so much conflict. I ask you to join me in this prayer, because there is so much need for it here in the City of Peace.