Yom Kippur,

A Day of Rest

                Day nine of our tour (Wednesday, Oct.12) and after quite a hectic schedule it was time for a more restful day. We were staying in a hotel at Tiberius, on the Sea of Galilee. What a great place for a day of leisure! As our itinerary said: "Free time to relax in the hotel gardens, poolside, or step into the sweet water of Lake Galilee". All grasped this opportunity to rest, to relax.

                To the Israelis this was 10 Tishrei- the tenth day of the seventh month. This was a special day. This was Yom Kippur. Today was the day the land stood still. Twenty five hours to nowhere.

                The shouts and chatter of the fishermen preparing for another day of work could not be heard. Their boats remained idle. Their nets uncast. The sea was quiet, merely gently lapping its rocky shores. The wheels of our bus will not be going round and round. The roads will feel easier having the weights which they usually bear lifted from their shoulders. At the end of the day many people also will feel easier, having the weight of their transgressions against God lifted from their shoulders. The doors of the market stalls remain drawn and locked. The shops are shut.

                This is Yom Kippur. This is a day to be still; to be quiet. Today Israel stands still. Its people take time to meditate, to reflect, to repent, to ask God to forgive their many trespasses. White clothing is the choice of many for this day. I also wear white as a sign of solidarity with those whose land I am visiting.

                As a physical act of repentance a sevenfold washing in water is carried out. As they purify themselves by this sevenfold washing here in the sweet waters of the Sea of Galilee so may God also wash them clean of their sins.

Ceremonial washing at the Sea of Galilee on the day of Yom Kippur.

I turn now to the Book of Leviticus, chapter 16, verse29: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work - whether native-born or an alien living among you - for on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then before the Lord you will be clean from all your sins. It is a Sabbath of rest and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance."

                At the end of what is for many Israelis an emotional 25 hours may this greeting ring true - gmar chatimah tova (That you will finish with a good stamp in God's book).

Baha'i Shrine, Baha'i Faith

Shrine of the Bab, Haifa 

I was thinking about my visit to this Baha'i shrine in Haifa and the following words from a twentieth century English poet came to mind:

                "We shall not cease from exploring

                and the end of all our exploring

                will be to arrive where we started

                and know the place for the first time."

Sure, T.S.Eliot would have had much deeper thoughts in mind than my application of his words but they did represent for me my experience with the Baha'i faith. My trip to this shrine on the other side of the world ended up half a kilometre from home.

A Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land and we are visiting the Shrine of the Bab. What on earth is going on? Don't remember reading about the Bab in the Bible. On second thought, I don't remember ever hearing about the Bab either. Who is the Bab, that there should be a shrine erected to him. And after seeing the shrine in all its surrounding beauty, I realised that "the Bab", if indeed he was a person, was more important than being the captain of the local football team.

The glittering shrine, set in the terraced slopes of Mt Carmel overlooking Haifa, demanded a closer look but we were not able to approach too closely. This was a pity for the overall setting was very surprising. And many terraces up the hill, at the upper extreme of the site, another surprise awaited - the smiling face of a Samoan security guard.

"You're a long way from home."

"Yes, Sir. Just happy to be doing service to my faith and mankind."

What an uplifting attitude!

But think about it. Mt Carmel, the site which once, according to the Old Testament writer, was the place where prophets of the false god Baal were defeated and slaughtered, now draws thousands to meditate on the Baha'i Shrine. The many other thousands come merely to enjoy the view.

The Baha'i Shrine in Haifa

I enjoyed the view and then asked myself, "What is this Baha'i Faith?"

Along the highway leading to where I live, near a popular service station, is a sign advertising the Baha'i faith. I have driven past it many times, sometimes noticing it, other times not. I remember thinking at times, "What is a sign like that doing here?" But I never bothered finding out anything further. After my visit to Haifa and the Shrine there, I was prompted into action. I walked down the street to visit an old acquaintance of mine who I knew follows the Baha'i Faith.

Now I realise that it is a bit much fronting up to an old acquaintance and then asking him to explain his religion. Put yourself in his shoes. Assuming you are a Christian and a friend out of the blue asks you, "What is Christianity all about?" how would you answer? I am fairly sure that there would be different answers from different people. That's not a bad thing for when you think about it, each of us has our own  understandings and beliefs. But I am getting off the point. Back to my friend.

"So, Steve, what can you tell me about the Baha'i Faith?"

His reply was a question to me - a good tactic. "Have you ever noticed that Baha'i sign beside the Hatton Vale Servo?"

"I've driven past it many times. I know it's a Baha'i sign, but I don't really know what it says."

"Fat lot of good it seems to be doing! It says" One God, Many messengers". There is a number of religious symbols around this message. Symbols like a cross for Christianity, "om" symbol for Hinduism, the Jewish star, and the Islam symbol. Probably others as well."

"OK, but what does that all mean?"

"As I understand it," Steve continued," there is one God who is the source of creation. All the great religions of the world pay respect to him in their own way. Let's face it, we cannot understand, or know God, and so each group has come up with its own interpretation."

I caught on to what Steve was getting at and put in my bit. "And those symbols of the various religious groups are telling us that each of these religions in its own way is a messenger bringing us an understanding of the one God."

"Yes, we like to think that there is a basic unity within the various religions, each directing their thoughts towards the same God. And each one adding a bit more to our understanding of the Divine"

"To the outside observer that doesn't seem to be the case."

"No, unfortunately; but we live in an imperfect world. There is also another of our beliefs which can be hard to see. We see a unity in humanity where all people are created equal and should be respected and treated with love and dignity."

"I would hope that's something that one should find in all religions, but it's often hard to see. All that you mention is theory, or should I say doctrine? How do you live out your faith if it's not too personal a question?"

"I pray to that God of creation - prayers of thanks for what we are given and for strength and desire to use wisely what we have been given. I spend a lot of time meditating. I think of what I have done and what I should be doing. How I can be of help to those who are in a less fortunate position than I am."

" Do you attend a worship service?"

"No, I don't. Other Baha'is gather for meetings but I'm not into that."

And so our discussion continued. Steve happy to express his understanding of his faith and I interested in what he had to say. A lot of what he said made good sense to me. My questions about the Baha'i faith began while overlooking the Israeli port of Haifa. The answers lay just down the road from home.

Manger in Bethlehem

Away in a Manger

In the middle of the nineteenth century Rector Phillip brooks of Philadelphia took a pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land. On his return he was moved to compose a poem. It went:-

"O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie,

Beneath thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by. "  etc.  etc.

and became a well-loved Christmas carol. It is clear that the rector was very impressed with the peacefulness and serenity of Bethlehem.

More than two and a half thousand years earlier a local prophet, Micah, also made reference to this town. He wrote:-

" But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from old, from ancient times" ( Micah,5:2).

This was written in uncertain times when Assyrian forces were overrunning Judah and Bethlehem was a town which could easily be conquered. It was not an important town at that time.

Later Jewish writers saw these words as a prophecy that the Jewish Messiah would be born in this  town. So we have Matthew in his gospel describing how Joseph and Mary, who according to him were residents there in their own home, having a child who was named Jesus. Luke, in his gospel, had Joseph and Mary coming south from their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem where Mary gave birth to her first child, Jesus. These two biblical writers, Matthew and Luke , firmly established the village of Bethlehem as the place where Jesus was born. People are still journeying to this place, today more than ever, to see for themselves this town.

Like the shepherds of old we also made our way to Bethlehem to meditate on Jesus' birth, remembered in its geographic setting. Unlike Rector Brooks who remembered the "silent stars" of his evening visit we were there in the midday warmth of a clear October day. And his "Little town" had grown into a scattered, in parts untidy, city of many thousands of people.

Our focus, however, was not on its size or appearance but on the Church of the Nativity, one of the most visited pilgrim sites in the Holy land. According to tradition, this old basilica is built over the place where Jesus was born. To be more exact the present building was built on the remains  of a previous church built over the cave where Jesus was born.

Hey, wait a minute! Did you say CAVE? Jesus was born in a CAVE?

Yes, well that's what the Church of the Nativity is telling us. The first church built here was constructed by Emperor Constantine the Great. It was mainly his mother, Helena, who travelled widely throughout the Holy Land locating places which had reference to the life of Jesus. According to the information she tracked down, Jesus was born in a cave here in Bethlehem. So in 327 Constantine had a church built over the cave to preserve the site for posterity.

This original church was burnt down in 550 but a replacement was built over the site fifteen years later. It is this sixth century church, with various renovations, which one can visit today. It is one of the oldest churches in the Holy Land.

So through the very low front door- the Door of Humility - walk up the aisle to the main altar, then down the steps into an underground cave. And there under an altar ( the Altar of Nativity) is a silver star. This marks the spot. But a CAVE? What about the stable one sees in all the nativity scenes which pop up in the months before Christmas?

A stable or a cave? Where was he born? That is the question. Matthew seems to indicate that Jesus was born in Joseph and Mary's home, for when the Magi arrived looking for him 18-24 months after his birth they came to "the house where they saw the child with his mother Mary"( Matthew 2:11). Luke on the other hand says that the Nazareth visitors couldn't find a place to lodge and so Mary had her baby where the only place to lay the child down was a manger. Luke writes: "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn"(Luke 2:7). And later, the sign given to the shepherds by the angel of the Lord was that they would "find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger"(Luke 2:12).

These two references of Luke are responsible for the generally held impression that Jesus was born in a stable behind an inn. Here is just one of the many confusions which surround the birth of Jesus. Luke does not say that it was in a stable, simply that Mary lay the baby in a manger.

The written indication that the birth place was in a cave goes back a long way. Justin Martyr, born around 100 AD writes in a book entitled Dialogue with Trypho:"But when the Child was born in Bethlehem, since Joseph could not find a lodging in that village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed him in a manger" (Chapter 78).

And so the biblical scholars argue one way and the other.

An so what about my personal visit to this traditional site of the birth of Jesus? Well, it left me all a little confused and, I must say, not spiritually uplifted because of my time there. My main memory of the Church of the Nativity is the small (low) entrance door. It is easy to see where the name Door of Humility came from. One really has to bow low where entering the building. Inside can be seen the old stone work which outlined the original entrance - much larger and grander. We were told that the entrance had been purposely lowered so that horsemen were not able to ride their steeds into the church. True or another urban myth?

Stooping low to enter the Church of the Nativity.

And the cave in which the Altar of the Nativity covering the fourteen pointed star was situated was very crowded with people eager to stoop down and photograph or kiss the star and meditate on the birth of the Lord. It was nearing the end of a long and tiring day during which many holy sites had been visited, and unfortunately this place did not receive the attention from me which it merited. The church next door awaited with its own caves and stories.

And let's face it. Most Christians are quite happy with the usual nativity scene we are used to seeing today. This is the one in which as many of the elements mentioned by Matthew and Luke (and some not mentioned by them) are crowded into a stable. We must not let the true facts (if indeed they can be discerned) stand in the way of this romantised  version.

.

Yiddish music

A Magical Musical Moment

Years ago in previous life, or so it seems, I operated a modest antiques shop, not stocking expensive European goods but having a range of late 19th and early 20th century Australian furniture. It was my interest turned into a small business. Stock for the shop was obtained from a variety of sources, one of which was buying the complete house contents of deceased estates. This, as one could well imagine, would yield a whole range of articles, some on which a profit could be made, others which were not always suitable for my style of shop. These had to be sold on to other types of outlets or given to charity. Amongst these house lots there were often surprises.

In one situation, I remember receiving a number of boxes of music - tapes and vinyl records. The tapes, written in either Spanish or German, were mainly classical, orchestral renditions of the European masters. The records were predominantly Jewish and Yiddish music. Here was something new for me. Listening to various of these open up a whole new area. Previously for me, Jewish music was Fiddler on the Roof, Havah Negilah and The Andrew Sisters singing Bei Mir Bistu Shein; Oh, and Tzena, Tzena!

This was something else. Now here was a wonderful, engaging rhythm which drove the music along and I loved listening to them, scratches and all. They were mainly religious - cantors singing, orchestral, choirs and smaller groups. Many were of chassidic melodies, something I had never heard of. The rhythms of Russia, Ukraine and Poland, on which these songs were based, put a whole new slant on "church music" for me. They bounced from the bright and cheerful to the solemn and majestic, but in all these varying moods bringing out the joyousness of the people's faith. Many of the dance-like melodies built up to climaxes so intense that they seemed suited to more ebullient celebrations than one would expect in a church. But that's my conservative Protestantism speaking.

I was often reminded of King David of Old Testament fame, when he was bringing the Lord's ark back to Jerusalem. Check out his attitude in 1 Kings, 6:5; "David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals."  And a little later King David became even more excited which embarrassed some of his citizens. "David, wearing a linen ephod danced before the Lord with all his might while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and sounds of trumpets" (6:14).

One magical moment in Jerusalem brought the joy and rhythms of that Chassidic music back to me. That was at dinner in the Dan Hotel on Sabbath evening. A voice from among the large group dining next to our sedate group began breaking out a rhythm. He was soon joined by others and thus began an interlude of joyful singing welcoming the Sabbath. I had no idea what they were singing about but the joy and excitement was so evident. Blessed indeed are those who find such happiness in their love of the Lord and express it so positively.

When I arrived home from Israel I dug out some of those old vinyls to replay them. They relive for me some of these sounds of joyful worship. Yes, I still had some from 30 years ago in spite of my wife's "Don't tell me you've kept those old scratched Yiddish records!"

I quote from the dust cover of Chabad Nigunim : "A special flavour of originality attaches to these ancient melodies of a century ago and more. The listener is immediately taken back to that wonderful world of soul-stirring purity and elevation, experiencing a yearning for holiness and spirituality combined with inner joy of the Chassidim."

Mt Temptation

Mt Temptation

"At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and angels attended him" (Mark 1:12-13).

The three synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) recorded that after Jesus was baptised he spend time alone in the desert preparing for his ministry. This follows a pattern in Scriptures, readily recognised, where people spend time in the desert being strengthened and tested for what lies ahead.

Moses, you remember, spent the second forty years of his life shepherding his father-in-law's sheep in the desert around Horeb, the Mountain of the Lord. This prepared him for the next, and last, forty years when he guided the Israelites in their wandering to reach the promised land. Paul also spent a number of years in the desert of Arabia after his conversion and before he started on his missionary journeys. Elijah, too, searched for God in the solitude of the deserts. Now, before beginning his life's mission, the gospel writers have Jesus preparing himself mentally for what was to follow.

Few would dispute the statement that we do not really know to where he was led (Matthew & Luke) or sent (Mark). Tradition has it that he spent this time in a cave half way up a mountain which overlooks the town of Jericho. This location seem logical enough, for the baptism apparently took place in the Jordan basically east of Jericho. Assuming that he wanted to stay within the borders of his homeland, west of Jericho would fill the bill.

After taking the sky road up to the Greek Orthodox Monastery which is built around that Jesus cave I thought: This isn't really a desert location where one is away from it all. What a great view. It goes right across the Jordan valley and down to the Dead Sea. I'm sure this would have been a distraction for Jesus in his meditations. Sitting alone, hunger pains biting, the green inviting oasis of Jericho would not have helped in the effort of working out God's ultimate plan for him. I could imagine him thinking: Where did that caravan come from? What are those priests doing? Whose donkey is that? Those people are working on the Sabbath.

But I accept that we must be advised by tradition. For centuries this mount has been known as Mt Quadrantania (Latin for forty). Locating Jesus' desert experience here goes back to Byzantine times.

Looking down from above. It's a long way to fall!

My thoughts on reaching the monastery were, I must admit, not about the temptation of Jesus. The first was: What a great view. Second was: One wouldn't want to be afraid of heights living up here. And again: I hope there's not an earthquake and this building decides to fall down onto the plains below. Then I did find it hard to convince myself that Jesus spent forty days and forty night up here in a cave wrestling with the devil.

What it did do was to spur me to look up once again the biblical record of this event in his life. And I did this not simply by reading one of the three accounts but considering them carefully side by side. I laid down each account ( Mark 1: 12-13; Matthew 4: 1-11; and Luke 4: 1-13) next to each other and then I carefully marked how they vary from each other, keeping in mind that Mark was written first and that Matthew and Luke had access to Mark's account when they wrote theirs. I then try to discover, through reading other commentaries or making my own suppositions WHY the differences (if indeed there are any)?

Some examples:-

1. An obvious difference. Mark's account is very short, but two verses long, saying that the Spirit sent him into the desert for forty days, where he was tempted by the devil, lived with wild animals and angels attended him. Both Matthew and Luke, in their own way, expand on this by describing three specific tests (or temptations) that Jesus had to undergo. Note that they give THREE tests. There is that number three again! Whenever I see this number I become wary. Why did they choose to expand the story?

2(a). Perhaps less obvious. Mark mentions that "he was with the wild animals" and Matthew and Luke both omit this. Question: Why did Mark include this and what does it really mean? If Jesus, as mentioned above, spent most of the time meditating in a cave half way up Mt Quadrantania, wild animals would hardly have been an issue. And why did the other two synoptic gospel writers leave the sentence out completely?

(b). Still considering Mark's account where his last sentence reads, "and angels attended him", Matthew's version suggests that angels came and attended him after the devil had left him. Luke omits the detail of "angels attending Jesus"' but adds something interesting. He writes that the devil left him "until an opportune time". Here's something to think about. Did that "opportune time" ever arise?

3. Did you pick this up? Matthew and Luke present the three temptations in a different order.

Matthew: 1. "stones to bread". 2. Highest point of temple. 3. Very high mountain.

Luke: 1. "this stone to bread". 2. a high place. 3. Highest point of temple.

It is interesting to consider why Luke might have changed Matthew's order.And so I could go on. Some people tell me that this is nitpicking and I'm missing the main point of the story.

So what is the main point of this account (these accounts) of the temptation of Jesus? Did climbing - oops! taking the chair lift to - Mt Quadrantania get me any closer to the main point?

Yardenit

The Start of Something Big.

John the Baptist certainly struck a chord with the people of his time. His baptism - a baptism of repentance - was a real hit.

" Hey, let's go down to the river and see this wild man. Heard say that he's the new Isaiah, and he's calling us all to be baptised."

Or as the writer of the Gospel of Matthew notes: "Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions around the Jordan went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River" (Matthew 3: 5-6).

Now that is a mass of people even allowing for the writer's hyperbole. I sure that John himself would have been surprised by the number of his countrymen and women who heeded his call for repentance at the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. These were unsettled times and people were unsure about what was to happen. John's baptism gave them some security.

He would be even more astounded if he were to drop in at the Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Jordan in 2016. The people were streaming in from all parts of his world - assuming he was up with his Mediterranean geography - and from even further afield. They were coming from areas of the world unknown to him. From Sumatra and Suva they were coming. From China and Canada, Portugal and Paraguay, India in the east and Indiana in the west, Norway in the north and Sudan in the south, the crowds were coming in their thousands. The list would go on and include Nigeria, Ghana, United States of America, Mexico ,Taiwan and yes, even Australia.

Hastening towards the cool, forgiving waters of the Jordan they came in their sombreros and saris, their kilts and kimonos, their sun hats and Stetsons, their kimonos and yes, even in their Akubras and thongs. Jesus hoped that his good news of the Kingdom of God would spread to all corners of the world. Sitting in the cool breezes beside the Jordan I was given the impression that the gospel has indeed spread its comfort over the whole world. The joy of the gospel was clearly seen in the laughter and excitement shown by the visitors here. Their presence here was testimony to their faith.

Undergoing a baptism renewal at Yardenit Baptismal Site.

Most people who come to this Yardenit Baptismal Site do not come merely to reminisce on the activities of John the Baptist 2000 years ago, nor does the site commemorate his life and work. The traditional site where John operated was further south on the Jordan, nearer to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. A baptismal site developed here at Qasr el Yahud where pilgrims could remember The Baptiser and also  undergo a baptism of rededicate. After the Six-Day war in 1967 this site was abandoned for security reasons and Yardenit was developed as an alternative place for pilgrims to visit.

Yardenit caters for Christians desiring to experience a Jordan River baptism, thus reliving the joy of their initial baptism. Probably most Christians were baptised as infants. Most? This is purely an assumption and I could be way off the mark. Now, as adults, they can take the opportunity to choose for themselves to undergo a rededication baptism. Here there  is a special dimension for Jesus himself was baptised by John in the Jordan.

It is uplifting to see the joy on the faces of all those people dressed in their white robes who have been dipped beneath the cool waters of the Jordan. Yes, fully dipped, completely submerged. They emerge shining in the sun and smiling amid the water dripping from their faces. This is truly an uplifting experience for all those who have chosen to renew the baptismal vows. One could only guess at the emotion of someone who is experiencing a first baptism here. Certainly something to remember daily for the rest of life.

To experience this with a group of like-minded Christians adds an extra dimension. Being part of a circle of people, standing in the Jordan River, happy in their faith which they have just now publically proclaimed surely provides a spiritual uplift.

Blessed are those who find joy in their faith, for their life will be fuller.

Jericho

Jericho

In a recent survey 100% of respondents, when asked to list three Holy Land cities or towns, named Jericho first ahead of Jerusalem. I also had placed Jericho first but that was probably because I had just been listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing that old spiritual, "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho". Yes, "fit", and old form of the past tense of fight.

It is true that a survey of both my wife and myself nominated Jericho first. I wonder how many others would have Jericho at the top of their list?

This old town does have a certain aura about it. This something special arises out of that Old Testament story (Joshua, chapter 6) when the Israelite army lead by Joshua marched around the city seven times and "the walls came a-tumbling down".

Fast forward a millennium and a half to New Testament times and Jericho gets a few mentions there as well. In the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) Jesus had the man who was attacked and robbed going from Jerusalem to Jericho. Here Jericho is incidental to the main thrust of the story and is not often retained by the reader. Luke (19: 1-10) also relates the story of the vertically-challenged tax collector, Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he made his way to his last week in Jerusalem.

All the three synoptic gospels record how Jesus restored sight to a blind man (Luke) named Bartimaeus (Mark) or to two blind men (Matthew) as he was coming to (Luke) or leaving (Matthew & Mark) Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. Lastly Jericho also comes up in Hebrews 11;30 but here the reference is again to the walls falling down.

And this is probably the reference we all remember when Jericho comes up in conversation. It has not been placed in the forgotten annals of old biblical cities. Not only biblical scholars, but also geomorphologists, archaeologists, seismologists, historians, to mention but a few have an interest in this old town.

Talking about an old town. A few months ago, my wife and I attended a fund-raising trivia night. One question - Which is the oldest city in the world? - I thought I had nailed. Wrong! The quizmaster gave the answer as Damascus. I appealed but to no avail for he maintained that his googling had come up with Damascus. Apparently this information has not reached the good citizens of Jericho for their sign still claims they live in the oldest city. I'll leave that one to the historians for further investigation.

A claim to be the oldest city in the world but can this claim stand up?

As a student of geography I am always interested in the landscape and landforms through which I travel. Jericho lies in a particularly interesting landform - a rift valley known as the Jordan Rift valley. Features such as this lie on very unstable regions of the world where gigantic tectonic plates are either rubbing together or pulling apart. As a result they are areas where earthquakes and volcanic activity are regular occurrences. It's hard to realise as one drives through this countryside which appears so stable and solid, that throughout recorded history many devastating earthquakes have occurred here. These have been earthquakes which have completely reduced towns and cities to heaps of rubble.

Archaeologists have claimed that Jericho appears to have been reconstructed at least twenty times in its long history. Citizens have continued to resettle here for springs of water emerging from the bordering hills have created an oasis in the dry surroundings. Jericho had often been referred to as the city of palms.

As we drive into this scattered Palestinian settlement the palm trees are there to wave us welcome. But the town we see is not the town through which Jesus passed. It is not the green oasis at which the pleading blind man could marvel after being touched by Jesus' healing hand. Nor is it the town from which the wealthy tax collector extorted his ill-gotten gains. Mind you, we stopped at a sycamore tree but I am not convinced it was the one climbed by Zacchaeus.

Somewhat like Jesus we came and passed through Jericho on our way to elsewhere else. We came here for it was the bottom end station of the cable car which ran up to the Greek Orthodox Monastery on the Mount of Temptation. And that's another story.

Israel's Landscape

Where were the Lilies?

I recently came across a quotation by Hildegard of Bingen which got me thinking about flowers and my recent trip to Israel. (Hildegard of Bingen, a famous polymath from the twelfth century, is a very interesting and inspiring person in herself; but that's another story.) Her statement went something like this:

"If I really see with open eyes what you, my God, have created, I am already living in heaven. I quietly collect roses, lilies and greenery in my skirt while praising your handiwork."

Immediately came to mind those words of Jesus to his disciples recorded in Luke 12:27:

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these."

Don't worry, be happy. Good advice.

I always imagined Jesus standing on a green hillside with wild flowers adding colour to the scene. He and his disciples would be enjoying walking about in God's green, colourful creation when Jesus decided to use nature to make his point.

BUT! I searched in vain for green hills and lilies on our recent journeying around Israel. On the contrary, it was the dry, rocky, barren hillsides which grabbed my attention. And the Bedouins' sheep. What on earth could they find to eat, to live on? Here was no lush, green countryside.

What on earth do these goats find to live on?

My geography background came to the fore with an explanation. Wrong time of year for green grass. Israel is in the Mediterranean region where they have hot, dry summers, when everything in the countryside dries up, and this is followed by cool, wet winters. It is the rain in winter which encourages green growth. W e were visiting Israel at the end of summer when it was at its driest. Wrong time of year! Come winter and the accompanying rains and things would soon look different. It's all a matter of timing.

I am reminded of something I wrote some time ago after a visit my wife and I made to England. I called it "It's all in the timing". Here it is.

Before going on a trip I always check out what the place has to offer. If I plan to spend some time in an area (rather than just passing through) I research it even more thoroughly. Sure, the literature will always present a place in its best light and in its best season. Go in the off-season and you are likely to be disappointed.

A small example -

We were travelling around England with a general route in mind but no particular overnight stops planned. This was the first day and the M3 was taking us west from Heathrow where the hire car had been waiting (Yes, the plane was late!). It was soon time to stop for the day, pull off the motorway and find some lodgings for the night. We ended up in a small town called Stockbridge.The short stroll to stretch our legs before dinner took us to a small church surrounded by the graves of its former members and brilliant patches of daffodils. Lingering in this quiet beauty was just what the doctor ordered after a tiring 24 hours plane trip. And my wife loves visiting old church yards!

What a lovely surprise this turned out to be. What a beautiful experience to finish our first day in England. Stockbridge - actually the little old churchyard and the flowering daffodils - remained as a fond memory of England.

Church at Stockbridge, England, with daffodils - a sight to remember.

Fast forward a number of years.

This time we were heading for Somerset to track down some long-gone relatives. It was again the M3 taking us away from Heathrow.

"Let's stay at Stockbridge again."

Heeding the suggestion of the navigator, we did. We even booked in at the same old inn as previously. It seemed to have changed somewhat - not as cute. Our pre-dinner stroll took us back to the same little old church yard.

But, Oh dear! It looked drab and uncared for. There were no colourful flowers, no welcoming daffodils. It was a place to be passed unnoticed.

This second visit was a few months later in the year than our initial visit. And the difference a few months can make. As my golf coach would always say, "Timing is everything."

Same town, same church, different time of year!

Church of the Primacy of St Peter

The Church of the Primacy of St Peter

In Tabgha on the north-west shore of The Sea of Galilee stands the Church of the Primacy of St Peter.

We were walking down the tree-lined avenue ( including a number of fine, tall eucalypts) when he said to me, "I'm just about churched out. What's this one all about?"

I must admit that the last few hours had been a case of "in the bus", a very short drive, "out of the bus", " forty minutes should be enough", a quick visit to the church, which church? "is everyone back yet?"  short drive.....

But back to the shade of the cooling eucalypts. We were approaching a chocky, blue-stone chapel with the blue waters of the Sea of Galilee shining behind it. A small, rectangular sign near the front entrance reading "Sacellum Primatus Sancti Petri" provided an answer to my companion who was wondering which church we were now visiting. It would provide an answer, assuming that he had not forgotten his school-boy Latin.

This was the Chapel (Sacellum) of the Primacy (Primatus) of St Peter (Sancti Petri). "Fine", he said, guessing an approximate translation of the Latin, "but what's it all about?"

I resisted saying, "read in the Bible, St John, chapter 21 and you will know all about it." This chapter has always seemed a little strange to me. It raises in my mind as many questions as it has answers. But that's another matter and I won't go with that now.

This chapel does commemorate events that are related in John 21. It relates especially to verses 15 - 17.

 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, " Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

" Yes, Lord," he said, " you know that I love you."

Jesus said, " Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, " Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, " Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, " Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, " Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, " Do you love me?" He said," Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, " Feed my sheep."

Keeping in mind Peter's thrice denial at the crucifixion, this three times questioning of his love towards his Lord is taken as Jesus reinstating Peter as the leader of the apostles. Jesus' final reply of " Feed my sheep" implies that he should now dedicate his life to proclaiming the Gospel; a compelling invitation from Jesus.

Bronze statue of Jesus empowering St Peter.

The bronze statue, on the shore of the Sea near the chapel is a graphic picture of Jesus "knighting" Peter for his future job, with the shepherd's crook. This church, according to tradition, marks the spot where Jesus' forgiveness was forthcoming. Whether it is or it isn't, is not really that important. What is important is the story told here by John which has had so many repercussions in the centuries since then.

As with many of the holy sites in Israel, this church is administered by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. It is relatively new, being built in 1933. However it was built on the foundations of a much earlier church dating back to the fourth century.

Inside the church one finds a memorial to another of the events related in John, chapter 21. This concerns Jesus cooking a breakfast of fish for the seven disciples who were present on this occasion. The fish came from a bountiful catch which the fishermen-disciples had just made at the suggestion of Jesus. (Shades of Luke 5:1-11 here!). The limestone rock pushing up through the floor of the chapel in front of the altar is reputed to be the "table" on which Jesus prepared and served this breakfast. It is known as the "Mensa Christi" (table of Christ), as the sign indicates.

Inside the Church of the Primacy of St Peter with the Mensa Christi forming a dominant feature in front of the altar.

Churched out or not, people who visit this chapel certainly are encouraged by the various elements displayed, to go back to the sources which refer to Simon, or Peter, or Rocky. They also have the opportunity to ponder more deeply on the loving forgiveness so freely given by Jesus as shown in his relationship with Peter. For many there is the urge to look more closely at how this idea of the primacy of St Peter has played out within the Christian Church throughout the ages. There is also the spur to study more carefully and critically John, chapter 21. For many biblical scholars John's gospel appears to end at the conclusion of chapter 20, and chapter 21 is an afterthought, a PS.

A visit to a holy site can lead the pilgrim off onto many different paths. Where did  this visit to The Church of the Primacy of St Peter lead you who have visited it? Or had it, as I could well understand, become indistinguishable from the many other churches you saw when you were a little "churched out"?

Pomegranates

Red Seduction 

 No, you are no fair maiden, secretively bathing, surrounded only by the evening air. You are standing boldly, your arm outstretched, ready to deliver your delights.

The moment I first saw you I was seduced. I had to have you. I had to taste the sweet nectar you had to offer. The royal blood red of your seduction. You jezebel, you! Can I taste you now?

But alas, no. The marching flag at the head of our small group would not wait, would not stand still. That which is up ahead is awaiting us. It kept moving forward, striving towards the next, leaving me no time to tarry and taste.

But you would not go away. Should I be in the Shepherds' Field; you were there. You came with me to Bethlehem to remember the Saviour's birth. Should I climb the walls of the Holy City; you were there. In every alley, Arab, Jew, Christian, your arm was there beckoning, welcoming me. Even in the coolness of the Garden tomb, your agent was here, on a tree, smiling, tempting.

Hidden shyly behind the leaves of the tree but still ed and appealing.

For how long, oh, for how long shall we be apart?

You hid in the walls of God's own synagogue, even in the city where Jesus walked, talked and taught. There in the ruins of the Capernaum holy place you lay, rejected, but reaching. I smiled, walked away, waiting for another time, another place.

Carved in stone looking down on Jesus as he attended his synagogue.

 And I am weak. I could not refuse you. Here on the shores of the Dead Sea, I tasted of your sweetness, of your coolness. Here beside the Dead Sea, you brought life back into my tiring, salty, thirsting body.

Here beside the Dead Sea I had finally tasted your delights and was satisfied.

Plump, red pomegranates.

( Note.  An alternative version of this post would read as follows: After a few days thinking, " I wouldn't mind a glass of that," finally at the Dead Sea I did have a glass of freshly pressed pomegranate juice.)

Holocaust museum, Israel

Yad Vashem

Here the victims of the holocaust have been given a place and a name. Ezekiel 37:14. I will put my spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.

How does one describe the scent of a rose, the colour of a rainbow, the laughter of children, the sadness of the mourner?

I have, you have, we all have smelled the rose, seen the rainbow, heard the children and experienced grief. Our reactions remain our own. They become part of us. We may feel some communion with people who have had a similar to our own but.... One's words are not able to express fully and accurately the inmost feelings of the individual.

A walk through the concrete triangle at Yad Vashem leaves us all with emotions which cannot be communicated. They will remain with us and.... and then what?

Yes, a highly emotional experience,

a compelling educational experience,

a deeply challenging experience

and for me also a many-questioning experience.

A Time for thinking and remembering.

Yes, I came away with many questions in my mind. And yes , many were WHY questions. They have been asked time after time and I wonder if anyone has ever received  satisfying answers. I'll pass on them this time. Instead, I want to share an IS question with you, an IS question in various alternatives.

Is murdering a child more monstrous than-

euthanizing an aged person,

or aborting a pre-natal life?

Or speaking numerically: Is taking one life less sinful than taking two, or ten or a thousand?

Perhaps speaking nationally: Is there a hierarchy of mass murder? Or being specific, which should be judged the more barbaric -

Russian tanks killing fleeing German citizens?

British Lancasters bombing German cities?

Nazi Germany's warped ideology murdering Jews?

Israelite swords slaughtering the residents of ancient Jericho?

How the lists could go on.

The evil that initially forcefully ruled in the triangular tunnel of Yad Vashem was finally defeated. That evil which did not overcome those people who were seen speaking about their ordeal in the memorial, is now seen as a black page in history. Thank God for that.

It is right that the past should be remembered, and that victims of injustice be honoured. In all of this it is important also that optimism for the future be not forgotten.

Through the Memorial and Oh! the spectacular vista, not only for the visitors but also for those who in the words of Ezekiel  "are now settled in their own land" .

Bethlehem, the Shepherds' Field

The Shepherds' Field

I must admit that when I first considered going on a trip to Israel I had no idea of what would be involved. It was not so high on my bucket list. What would one really see there? No doubt one would be visiting the various obvious places like Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, Bethlehem, Nazareth, perhaps Cana. That's about as far as my thinking went.

Then when the detailed itinerary came to me, and I looked at it seriously, I was somewhat surprised, at the list of sites which would be visited. Such places as the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, Mount of the Leap, Shepherds' Field, the House of Simon the Potter were far from my mind. These are biblical references I am aware of, but to give them a specific geographical location, to place these events on a map, this I was not expecting.

Yes, I realised, I would have a lot to see and think about. But let's jump forward a few months and here I am on the outskirts of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, visiting the Shepherds' Field - well, one of them.

Entrance to the Shepherds' Field of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land (Glory to God in the highest).

The entrance arch to the site certainly has a biblical, Christmassy ring about it : Gloria in excelsis deo. Glory to God in the highest (Luke 2:14). Then the wide path leads up to a small chapel resembling a tent. The interior is decorated with angels, shepherds, sheep and mosaics depicting appropriate nativity scenes. The light that shines through the circular glass panels in the ceiling is a more subtle reminder of the light (the Glory of God, Luke 2:9) that shone about the shepherds on that eventful evening.

The interior of this chapel did create the right atmosphere to hear St Luke's account of the shepherds' experience, and to sing a couple Christmas carols. (The reading had to come from St Luke's gospel, for Mark, which is Pastor Peter's favourite gospel, does not contain any nativity stories; but that's another story.) It may have theoretically been the wrong time to sing carols but in this chapel any time of the year would be the right time.

Oh, and our Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi was responsible for the design of this building as well with its simple but pointed decorations. No doubt we shall meet him again.

The chapel at the Shepherds' Field.

As for the actual shepherds' field which opened out to the side of the chapel, it was dry, barren, stony; certainly not good sheep grazing country, in my mind. The only sheep I saw were marble ones which formed part of the fountain beside the chapel.

Water fountain beside the Shepherds' Field chapel.

Making a bee-line for the "souvenir" shop. Boaz also has laid claim to a nearby field.

Talking about fields. I noticed a few interesting names as we made our way under the Glory to God in the highest arch in leaving this site. Ahead was Bo'az Field Souviner Shop, to which some members of our tour group were hastening. A little further down the road was a sign to Ruth's Field Restaurant. It appears that other people were laying claim to the field, or one nearby, as well as the shepherds.

Boaz and Ruth. Now there are two names that ring a faint bell.

Ruth. That's that short book of the Old Testament squeezed between Judges and Samuel. Can never find it easily when you want it! I usually have to look up the page number at the beginning of the Bible to find its exact location. And yes, we know the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, especially that bit which goes, " Where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16). Ruth was the model daughter-in-law. But how does the story end?

Then Boaz. Some of us may be a little hazy about him. He ended up being Ruth's husband, with a little help from Naomi. When Naomi and Ruth left the land of Moab, they came back to Naomi's hometown of Bethlehem, where Boaz was a land-owner. So it seems that Boaz and his family were grazing their flocks on these fields as well. It's a small world.

Boaz and Ruth had a son, Obed, who was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David. This means that Ruth was King David's grandmother. When you think about it, this makes the great King David, the hero of all the Jews, part Moabite. But that's another story as well.

Painting inside the Shepherds' Field Chapel. A picture can represent many words, but the words which the artist had read and interpreted. The viewer does an individual reading.