Easter 2023: Thursday Night Procession

 After Palm Sunday, the next landmark of the Savior's last week we commemorated was Jesus's agony in Gethsemane, betrayal, and imprisonment at the palace of Caiphas.  So on Thursday April 6, about 9 pm, we gathered in the upper auditorium where we enjoyed scriptures, hymns, and musical numbers about the Savior's suffering for our sins.  The music was mournful and meditative.  Then we gathered with the students and walked together to Gethsemane at about 9:30. 

On the way, we walked through the streets of Suwana, our East Jerusalem neighborhood.  There were extra crowds of people who looked like they were walking home from the Haram es-Sharif (temple mount), and there were lots of extra vendor stalls selling crepes and corn and drinks.  It was quite a festive atmosphere, from our point of view, although we learned later that there had been unrest that evening a few blocks away from where we were walking.  Thankfully we didn't notice anything amiss and felt safe with our Muslim neighbors and our Palestinian security guards.  

We waited outside of the Church of All Nations/Gethsemane for the service there to end.  I had attended this service a few years ago, and I knew it would be lovely and multilingual, but extremely crowded, so I was glad that the BYU-JC students had our own program.  Our all-English service was very sweet and increased my gratitude for all the the Savior did for me, taking upon himself my sins, as well as my pain and heartache, so that he would know how to succor all of us and be our perfect advocate with the Father.

From Gethsemane, hundreds of pilgrims gathered to walk through the Kidron Valley.  From our place in line we could see the line of candles stretch down through the stair-lined path,  We moved slowly along, hearing the praying and singing pilgrims who walked along with us.  At the foot of the stairs, we started seeing the ancient graves and monuments carved into the steep slopes of the valley.  This was literally the valley of the shadow of death, and I remembered Psalm 23, that even though our path may be lined with the unmistakable reminders of our own mortality, still we should fear no evil because of the power of God that walks along with us.  We may not be able to choose our path, the psalmist seems to say, but we can choose not to fear, instead drawing strength from the guidance of the true shepherd.

When the path slanted up again, we walked clockwise around the southern edge of the old city.  where Savior Easter observance mostly consisted of reading scriptures and trying to get a sense of which events occurred on which days.  I read Eric Huntsman's book, "Greater Love Hath No Man," and in it there are scriptures and artwork, suggestions for songs and activities for each day leading up to Easter Sunday.