Israel

A last minute work trip took me to Israel for a week in March. The ticket was purchased Wednesday and I flew out of Washington on Friday via JFK to Tel Aviv, arriving Saturday evening and then departed the following Friday, arriving back in DC Saturday morning. Given that I only had two days notice, I hadn't done any research about anything so I quickly scheduled a one day tour of Old Jerusalem and Bethlehem for the day after I arrived, before the work week started. I wanted to take advantage of being there for sure!

I've known many people who have visited Israel and it has been a transformational life highlight, after all, this is the sacred center for three major faiths of the world. I didn't know what to expect, but I was expecting (perhaps hoping) to feel something...and... I really didn't. Whether this was because of the last minute nature of my trip and not having spent time reading through Old and New Testament scriptures in preparation or the reason for my trip (hello US politics - I could write a whole post about that) which certainly added a weight to the trip, clouding any spiritual/faith discovery, I don't know, but it was interesting to not really feel much of anything.

I will say one of the places I felt something was when we were at the site of the upper room and last supper. Our guide took us in and sat us down, read the passage of scripture and I thought, yes, I can imagine it. Then the guide said, ok, now I'll take you to the 'room' which was next door! We weren't even there yet! So much for my feeling anything! The other place I felt something was on the Via Dolorosa at the spot where they say Jesus fell and Simon of Cyrene was forced to pick up the cross and carry it the rest of the way.

I also appreciated Bethlehem as a town (actually more than Jerusalem) but the Church of the Nativity was too crowded and we had to wait too long and I was over it and wanted to go. Even as I write these words almost two months later, I think, wow, I was at (in theory) the exact place Jesus was born...and that was my reaction?! So perhaps a visit back to Israel is called for at some time in the future when I'm not working and have had time to prepare and the politics and backdrop of the current US administration don't spoil the reason for being there. Or maybe I need to reflect on all I saw and be grateful for having the opportunity to see a place where a brown skinned, refugee teacher once walked, setting an example of love and peace that will long outlast this current politics and also gives strength to persevere in the face of all that is going on in the world at this time.

The other place I really enjoyed was the ancient port city/town of Jaffa (Joppa). This is the port where the Cedars of Lebanon passed through to build the temple. It's the place where Peter had his dream that carries so many significant theological ramifications about what is labeled clean and unclean. I felt something here - the example of accepting something to be true that you previously believed was not true.

Many more thoughts, but that's all for now. Enjoy the photos. Hope it gives a flavor of what I saw and experienced. (Hotel review as always on Trip Advisor here)  - Duncan

Tel Aviv - city view from my room

...or if I looked toward the water...

Tel Aviv

Do you know what this is? Outside of many doors including my hotel room - see Deuteronomy 6:9

Starting point in Jerusalem - looking out to the Jordan hills

And then from the Mount of Olives - looking toward Old Jerusalem, graves in front

Graves - it is tradition to leave a stone on the grave when you visit. Though not at this cemetery, Oskar Schindler's grave is covered in so many stones as it receives so many visitors.

Where they say the 'Upper Room' was...

I believed it, and could feel I was there...until the guide said, ok, now I'll take you to it! What?! I thought this was it!

No, there has to be a church marking it...

Any guesses what this is and why it is there?

Western/Wailing Wall with a convenient diagram explaining what you are looking at...

Along the Via Dolorosa

Along the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus fell and Simon of Cyrene picked up the cross...the other place I felt something.

Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Judaean Hills on the way to Bethlehem

Crowds inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

Mosaics on the wall

Mosaics on the floor

Pushing our way down to see the birthplace and where the manger was

'Birthplace'

'Manger site'

Bethlehem views

Looking down toward Jaffa and St. Peter's Church

Tel Aviv coastline looking back toward the city

Old Jaffa

A friendly cat...

...which we then facetimed Andrea so she could meet the friendly cat

Jaffa port...the 'cedars of Lebanon' passed through this port to build the temple. 

St Peter's Church

Back to Jerusalem for a few hours of work...when this is your office view...