Written by Rev. Josh AttawaySadly, we have come to the end. Today was our last day here in Israel, but we certainly saved some of the best for last. This morning we had some free time to explore on our own. I was with a group that decided to go back to the Western Wall and go up on the Temple Mount to see where the temple once stood and where the Dome of the Rock now stands. We made our way through the winding streets of the Old City of Jerusalem and up on top of the Temple Mount. It was pretty amazing knowing that we were in such a holy place where the Holy of Holies once was.
We all met back together at 11:00 this morning to load up on the bus and go to En Karem. This
is the birthplace of John the Baptist. A Catholic Church has been built on the spot and inside the church you can see the little cave where it is believed John was born and the place where Mary came to see Elizabeth.
is the birthplace of John the Baptist. A Catholic Church has been built on the spot and inside the church you can see the little cave where it is believed John was born and the place where Mary came to see Elizabeth.
After we left the church we took a mini-tour around the “capital hill” area of Jerusalem where many of the government buildings are located before we went to Yad Vashem. This is the Holocaust Museum in Israel. We had a couple hours to walk around the museum and take it
all in. It was a very moving and powerful experience to be reminded of the atrocities of the Holocaust and our responsibility as people of faith to never let something like that happen
again.
all in. It was a very moving and powerful experience to be reminded of the atrocities of the Holocaust and our responsibility as people of faith to never let something like that happen
again.
Finally, we ended the trip with our last site to see at the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is
one of the possible places where Jesus had been crucified and buried in the tomb. A British soldier discovered it a little over 100 years ago.
one of the possible places where Jesus had been crucified and buried in the tomb. A British soldier discovered it a little over 100 years ago.
The reality is we do not know the exact spot where Christ was buried, but this site has some incredible archaeological finds that prove it was a garden during the time of Jesus similar to the one described in the Gospels as the place where Jesus was buried. There is also proof that some of the early Byzantine Christians believed this tomb to be a sacred place.
What was most important about this, however, was not whether or not it was the actual place.
What was most important was the reminder of the power of resurrection and hope in our lives. We took communion together and had a time of prayer in the garden to reflect on the new life and new hope we are offered each day because of God’s grace.
What was most important was the reminder of the power of resurrection and hope in our lives. We took communion together and had a time of prayer in the garden to reflect on the new life and new hope we are offered each day because of God’s grace.
This evening we had to say goodbye to our bus driver, Khalil, and then we had a farewell dinner with our guide, Rafi. His wife and son came to join us for dinner and we all had a chance to express our gratitude to him and to one another for what an amazing trip this has been. Tomorrow we are heading for home and we are anxious to see our loved ones, but we are all coming back as changed people because of this trip. I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of everyone in saying that we all look forward to the opportunity to return to the Holy Lands and we hope everyone will find an opportunity to make this special trip. See you all soon!
