Jerusalem

... Was Not what I imagined at all. I think at one point I even called it a zoo. Imagine the most intense/devout Protestant Christians, Jews, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims all in one place on top and overlapping one another like a collage of devotion and religious practices. Let me help you....



Imagine participating in a procession of the stations of the cross  with some Franciscan monks singing in Latin while there is a Arabic call to prayer on loudspeakers nearby.

Imagine at any given moment hearing church bells or a Muslim call to prayer or, if you are near the Jewish quarter, bull horns announcing bar mitzvahs.

Imagine being evangelized by three religions in one day (ask Julio!).

Imagine being at one of the most holy places for Jews- the western wall (the last remaining wall of the temple) and right above you is the walk way with a check point at either end of it crossing over to Palestinian territory where the Dome of the Rock is.

The  Western Wall with the walkway going to the Dome of the Rock on the right.

A bar mitzvah happening at the wall.

Imagine one exact spot that is holy for three faiths. The area known as Temple Mount to Jews and Christians and its known as Haram Al'sharif to Muslims. It is revered by Jews and Christians because it is thought to be where God took dust to create the first humans. Jews believe that this is the site of the original two temples and where the third temple will be built there when the messiah arrives, but are not allowed by the state of Israel to enter the site for fear that they might walk on the site of the inner temple which is prohibited in the torah.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims recognize it is the place where Abraham almost sacrificed his son and actually contains the rock where he was going to do it. Thus the building is known as Dome of the Rock. Muslims also believe Muhammad went there in a dream. It is the third most holy site after Mecca and Medina. Non muslims are not allowed into the actual dome- we were just allowed to walk around and take pictures.  In the 1500s the Ottoman Empire stunningly decorated the Dome of the Rock with mosaics, gold and marble.

The Dome of the Rock at the Temple on the Mount/ Haram Al-Sharif

This area is technically occupied by Israel but administred by the Muslim Palestinian authority. Thus we had to abide by their modesty guidelines- I had to be completely covered and we could not touch each other even to take a picture.

Imagine the supposed site of the ascension of Jesus is now a mosque on the mount of olives.

Imagine looking out over the Mount of Olives and not only seeing graveyard upon graveyard of deceased Jews who believe judgement day will take place there and important sites from Jesus' life like the Garden of Gethsemane, but you can also see several minarets from mosques.

Looking out from a lookout point on the Mount of Olives.

Imagine looking out over all of Jerusalem from the roof of our hostel and seeing church steeples, mosque minarets, and domes of synogogues all mixed in together.

View from our hostel roof. The jewish promenade and western wall in the foureground, the dome of the rock and mosque in the middle and church steeple in the background.

It was neat to see the holy places of all the religions and ponder over the concentration of important places for the three- how did try all end up so close- in some cases on top of each other?
It was interesting to be around people who were so intensely religious in a world where so many people dont care about religion, faith or God.

 I think what I took away more than anything else though in all this overlapping religiousness is the message to pray for peace in Jerusalem and among religions and ethnic groups everywhere. I know we have core values that are the same but all this overlapping and being in such close quarters gets to people.

Unfortunately when we were there there was increase Israeli security aka soldiers with huge guns around every corner. It was weird to see the militarization of this holy city. I can understand why some arab shop owners were selling t-shirts with a play on the popular band name- "Guns and Moses" - and an arab shop owner that would not accept a coin with a manorah on it and told us "use that for the bus."


I really hope one day the things we have in common will overshadow the differences and God's call to love one's neighbor will overshadow the fight for territory and show of force.