Things I love about Jerusalem: Faith

 

How do I love thee, O Jerusalem?  Let me count the Ways!

One thing I love about the Holy Land is the way so many of its communities venerate God in their own way.  While many people here are secular, there are a lot of visibly religious people here.  Even when the form of their worship is different that ours, Eric Huntsman likes to say, "Don't focus on the differences of others' worship, notice the intensity of their worship."   

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the devotion of saints over the centuries is visible and palpable.  The elaborately adorned Edicule behind us is incredibly sacred and usually thronged with pilgrims.  A priest usually stands outside to remind people to move quickly when others are waiting, and usually my time in the two tiny rooms is brief.  This time, there was almost no line, and I watched a priest pray, kiss the stone covering of the tomb, and wipe the moisture from the stone with his handkerchief, and then reverently backed out of the room, keeping his face toward the place that represents the presence of God.  It was a heartfelt ritual and clearly an oft-repeated one.  

St. Anne's church, Pool of Bethesda

The number of Christian churches here is astounding, most built and later rebuilt at great sacrifice.  They are usually dedicated to a biblical event and are situated as near as possible to the place where that event occurred.  Most of the churches are cared for by monks or nuns or dedicated volunteers.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is actually unlocked each morning by members of two Muslim families.  It was decided by Saladin in the 12th century that one Muslim family would safeguard the key, and the other family would have the privilege of using the key to open the door.  

We had a brief encounter with Matt and Paige Holland, friends from grad school days, and they were gracious as always despite jet lag and a busy schedule.

The Garden Tomb is one of my favorite places.  We had a beautiful tour guide from the Philippines who bore testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the reality of his resurrection.

This wall art outside a home just south of the center shows that the resident has made the pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca.  This milestone is one of the five pillars of Islam and signifies that the one who has made the pilgrimage is a fully fledged, committed Muslim.  

This is a section of Jerusalem's old city wall where a mysterious rock formation hints at an ancient gate, sometimes call "the Hidden Gate."  The nearness of this gate to royal residences excavated within the walls leads many to think this could be the place where Pontius Pilate showed Jesus to the crowds before his crucifixion.  

At the BYU Jerusalem Center, we help the students experience the Passover Seder Program under the direction of Ophir Yarden.  He gave a lot of helpful explanations about the meaning of the Passover, including the importance of inspiring curiosity about the many symbols so kids will ask and learn about this important festival.

At the YMCA in West Jerusalem, murals depict Old Testament scenes.  This could be Jacob and Esau or some other scene of brotherly reconciliation.  The YMCA aims to bring goodwill among Christians and people of other faiths here in Jerusalem.

This mosaic at the YMCA shows an image from the Madaba map in Jordan.  The Madaba map was an ancient pilgrim's map to help Europeans navigate their way from one Christian holy site to the next.  It confirms the Byzantine layout of the city in a Roman style with a forum and colonnaded cardos, as well as shows the location of the previous Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Nea church (no longer in existence)

Near The City View restaurant on Mt. Scopus by Hebrew U, this 2nd Temple Tomb shows niches used to bury the deceased. The tables in the center were places for preparing the body.  And now you can order a meal just 10 feet from this site, which is a little close.