Walking on Water, Part 2

Where was I, ah yes- Nazareth.

wine tasting in Cana

We saw the sights in Nazareth, including two Churches of the Annunciation (Orthodox and Catholic), and a less-than-impressive Mary’s Well.  The churches were beautiful, as usual, and we managed to navigate our way out of Nazareth much easier than we navigated our way in.  We stopped for a quick wine tasting in Cana, and headed back south to Bethlehem. 

After meeting back up with Elle Dub, we joined the rest of the YAGMs and the English speaking members of the congregation of the Lutheran Church of Jerusalem for their weekly potluck and volleyball game atop the Mount of Olives.  After delicious food and fantastic fellowship, we headed to bed (in the Victoria Guest House) to rest up for a full day of seeing the sights in Jerusalem the next day.

Walking through the Damascus Gate was almost like walking back in time.  Vendors were selling goods in their shops in the same ways they have been for hundreds of years.  We weaved our way through the twists and turns of the narrow streets to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built on top of Golgatha, the site of the crucifixion. 

  Just like the Church of the Nativity, there are different parts of the church that belong to different denominations, and it was fascinating to see how each area was decorated, and to catch glimpses of the different religious ceremonies going on throughout the day.  It feels both unifying and dividing to the Christian church- to see people sharing, but also insisting on doing things their way.  Either way, the church was gorgeous, and it was humbling to walk around the location that celebrates the death of the Lord.

We moved on to the Wailing, or Western Wall, which is the holy site for the Jewish people, and it looked just like it did in every picture and tv clip I’ve ever seen.  People all over the place praying, chanting, writing out requests and sticking them into the crevasses of the wall, it was amazing to see people in such genuine worship in such a public place.  It was also a source of joy and pride for the Israeli people, since it was also Israeli Independence Day.  The flags were a-flying everywhere we looked, and people were shouting, clapping and celebrating all over.

The sky could not have been blue

From there, we moved on to the Temple Mount/ Dome of the Rock, which houses the Foundation Stone.  It was on this rock that Abraham offered up Isaac as a sacrifice, and Gabriel accompanied Muhammed as he ascended into heaven, according to the Jewish and Islam faiths respectively.  It was the site of the Holiest of Holies, the center of the Hebrew Temple, which was destroyed when the Romans took over Jerusalem in 70.  The Dome was built in the 7^th century, not long after the Muslim conquest of Syria.  Non-Muslims are only allowed on the Temple Mount at certain times, and are not allowed inside the Dome at all.  Because Elle Dub is awesome, we were there at the right time, and after a Disneyland style wait in line, and some Bible-ditching (don’t try to take your Bible into a Muslim Holy Site, they don’t like that too much- Holy Site Guards-2, Vickie- 0), we got to see it’s magnificent beauty for ourselves. 

After a photo shoot and some wandering around, we broke for lunch and a nice cold Coke.  We stopped by the Garden Tomb, which is an alternative site for the death and resurrection of Jesus, and were given a very spirited tour by a lovely British man named Roy.  I appreciated going to this site because it is an example of how most of the Holy Sites are just guesses- it’s not like Jesus left a neon sign at each time in His life saying “this is exactly where I did this…”  and while historians and clergy members can infer and guess, there is always room for an alternative way to interpret the scriptures and lay of the land.  To me, the spiritual importance comes from the general experience, not specific pieces of land.  Jerusalem has not moved, nor has Nazareth or Capernaum, and just being those places was enough for me.

We ventured up to Mary’s Tomb, and then down to the Garden of Gesthemene, before we gathered our stuff and moved on to Ramallah, which is perhaps the most modern Palestinian city.

We met up with some of Elle Dub’s friends for a night on the town in Ramallah, which is certainly not a part of those standard Holy Land bus tours- highlighting just how once-in-a-lifetime this trip was. 

Moussa explaining the Aida Refugees

Friday, we stopped by yet another site most people don’t get to visit- a Palestinian Refugee camp.  I had intentionally gone into this trip with an open, albeit ignorant, mind on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  I knew Elle Dub would have a Palestinian bias, because she lives, works and interacts with Palestinians on a daily basis.  I knew my faith background had an Israeli bias, since I do truly see this as the Promised Land.  I also knew it wasn’t as easy as any of that.  Our tour around the refugee camp showed just how complicated the conflict is.  Moussa, the Lajee Center worker who gave us the tour, had seen and experienced more in his 21 years than I probably ever will.  He was arrested by the Israeli Defense Force about a week after we met him, for no apparent reason. Today is Nakba, the day the Palestinian people remember those who were forced from their homes during the war that established Israel as an independent country in 1948.  Even after I got back, I’m still not sure exactly what to think about the conflict.

Part of the wall that separates Israel from Palestine, which was built on the edge of Aida Camp

This is what I do know.  Everyone I met, was beyond kind.  I felt safer in Palestine than I do I Baltimore City.  People went out of their way to include us in their lives, but did so without forcing their opinions on us.  They took care of us and welcomed us into their homes.  They shared their hopes and dreams, as well as their fears and worries.  Now, when people ask me if it’s safe to travel to Palestine, I answer with a resounding yes, and I am confident that they will experience the same welcome that we did.

We joined Moussa and the Dabke team from the camp at a dance festival in Ramallah, which was also one of my highlights from the trip.  I love dance, and I love traditional native dances, and this did not disappoint.  You can catch a glimpse of it here.

The Tel Aviv skyline against the Mediterranean 

Saturday morning we said goodbye to Elle Dub and started the adventure back to Tel Aviv- not the easiest thing to do on Shabbat.  Luckily, thanks to some Valpo connections, we had someone to meet us in Tel Aviv, give us some directions and store our belongings while we wandered around the city and watched the sun set on the Mediterranean.  After a delicious dinner without the Coke I ordered, we gathered our belongings, said thank you and goodbye to our new friend, and headed to the Tel Aviv Airport to begin our long, tiresome journey home.

All in all, it was an amazing experience.  From the Dead Sea to Capernaum, Jerusalem and the Dabke festival, it was a once in a lifetime experience that I am so grateful for.  We met lots of great people, and built memories with friends, both new and old.

… that’s all folks.  Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.