Ground Zero

There are certain spots in the Holy Land that you can say with some certainty – Jesus walked here. The photo is of the Southern wall of Temple Mount, the bedrock behind me would have been Jesus’ last step as he passed through the tripple gates up on to the temple mount. That’s Brian in the distance.

 

The text that has travelled with me for most of today has been from 2 Kings 20v5 ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seeen your tears, I will heal you’. It was good for Hezekiah despite his stupid mistake.

We left early to go up the Harem Esh Sharif, to the Golden Dome, also known as Temple Mount. There’s a small pile of bibles and crosses left from people who have tried to bring them up here. You cant. The Waqf police this area to make sure that your knees and shoulders are sufficently covered. Two of ours are deemed insufficient and asked to wear an ankle length extra.

Our guide explains that here is where Abraham didnt sacrifice Isaac (or Ishmael in the Qu’ran) and here is where Jesus came in, and here is her twopenny’s worth for where the Holy of Holies once stood.

It is an astonishingly holy and beautiful place. Holy as you ponder the biblical stories from Abraham, through David, Solomon and Hezekiah as he lays his nasty letter before the LORD. 2 Kings 19v14. All vicars have had letters like these. They’re exhausting and there’s no way to win and so all thats left is to bring it to God. And this is the best place for that. And then onto the 2nd temple to Herod, Jesus and Paul. We tand on that temple foundation. Except that is only a partial truth.

At some point in the this last century (sorry i didnt pay careful attention) the Muslims created another mosque here in an area colloquially called Solomons Stables (not actually) and in so doing removed a lot of the dirt (aka potentially historically significant archaeological findings)  which has been taken somewhere and we got to sift through it. A messy job involving a bucket of dirt and a hose and a tray. I found nothing of note, some pottery, and a piece of a mosaic. Someone on the tray opposite me found a coin. I am trying to bless them.

I had a long conversation with an Orthodox Jew who rehtorically asked ‘What is God’s purpose for your life?’ It is to do whatever good is right in front of you today. Every tree that you see has  been spoken to by God and told to grow.

I had a short converation with a woman in Harva Square who is a pastor to Native Americans. I spoke to a preacher who doesnt preach less than 40 minutes. He seemed genuinely shocked that mine can be less than 20. I went to help tidy up after a party and was given two Taybeh beers (from Bethehem). And that is probably a good note to end on so I can finish my drink tonight.