It is cooler now in Jerusalem – high teens
for temperature, along with the ongoing question of whether or not we will see
rain. We were lucky yesterday, and as it turned out, in spite of building clouds
through the afternoon, we were lucky today. 
We started with a ten minute walk to the
Garden Tomb, an alternative site for Golgotha and possibly the tomb. Whatever
the arguments, it was an oasis in the city to review the course of the
crucifixion, burial and discovery of the empty tomb. We were lead through this
by a volunteer from Belgium, who helped us focus on the importance of the facts
that Jesus was crucified by the Romans, buried in a nearby tomb like the one in
the photo, and then rose. The visit culminated in a modest celebration of
communion, lead by Wayne. It touched deep feelings that struggle for words. 
From this celebration of the triumph of love, we went to the Holocaust museum: Yad Vashem. We prepared to join with people everywhere in lamentation for not only those who died, but for the death of our own naïve belief in simple unguarded goodness. It was a remarkable piece of architecture (we understand it is by a Canadian) where although you can see a passage straight through, the path takes you from one side to the other. We viewed the progression of the Nazi program of removing rights from Jews in 1933, progressing to overt persecution and then to the “final solution”. On the way, we heard stories and viewed memorabilia of many of those who died, as well as survivors. It is truly disturbing to think of how easily complacency allowed such hate to flourish. It is clear that however troubling such memorials are to visit, the memory must be carried forward. There are times where it is difficult to deny the reality of evil. My own mind cannot suppress thoughts of our own First Nations and I wonder if I have been complacent…
Our lunch was a welcome respite from a
heavy emotional morning. We welcomed “bagels” with hummus, cucumbers, haroseth
(remember from sader meals?) and such. I put bagel in quotes because we each
started with a quarter, given that each whole was a tight loop about a foot
long! They were lighter than we are used to, but still warm, and very yummy.
Ok, I went for seconds.
 |
| Jerusalem from the south at the time of Jesus |
Our final stop was the Israel Museum,
including a huge model of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus (the Second Temple)
and the Museum of the Book, dedicated to the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was a chance
to marvel at the continuity of the Bible (and other writings) over 2000
years.
It has been another special day, one that
has touched us deeply in our hearts. It seems that today, we have connected
with the core of why we came with this group rather than just to “see the
sights”. It has also been a day which has reminded me that however much I want
to focus on the message of love and hope which Jesus brought, we each carry a
very dark seed which can grow if we allow it room. It has been a day of hope –
but not without caution.
