Internet access on the trip has been spotty, and even when I have had it, I have often been too tired to write anything coherent. However, I will try to recap the past few days.
After breakfast Tuesday, I was in the hotel lobby reading the news online, and one of my classmates was using her Dell and was unable to get online. Her sister said, "Well, his computer is working, it must be because his is a Mac." Possibly the funniest thing I have heard in quite a while.
On Tuesday, we drove along the coast of the Mediterranean to Caesarea, the city built by King Herod that became to capital of the ancient province of Palestine. We saw a lot of the archeological excavations, which feature Roman statues, the aqueduct, and the theatre. I took a bunch of great video and stills of the theatre. I learned that Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to Christianity here. Also, this is where St. Paul was arrested for inciting a riot. He demanded to be tried in Rome, which was his right as a Roman citizen, so he was taken there and later martyred.
After that, we continued up the coast, and visited a Druze village at Mount Carmel. The Druze are a secretive religious group that worships the God of Abraham, and is sort of a hybrid between Judaism and Islam. As I said, they are very secretive, to the point that unless one is a "religious" (read: orthodox) Druze, reading Scripture is forbidden, and the penalty can be death. So, the running joke has been that if someone asks someone else what they know about the Druze, the answer is, "I don't know anything about the Druze." So, what I have just told you is of course not anything that I know myself, but only what I have heard...LOL.
We enjoyed a traditional Druze lunch in the home, and it was quite tasty. I have no idea what I ate, but it was good. Especially when the RC Cola came out! I resisted the urge to ask for a Moon Pie...LOL. I guess one thing many people are wondering is how the food is. I have tried almost everything I have seen, and for the most part I have enjoyed what I have eaten. There is a lot of fruit at every meal, such as peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, apples, and grapefruit. Also, many of the meals we have had have been vegetarian. By dinner Tuesday, I had gone 1.5 days without any meat and my body was revolting. I was not feeling well, but after some meat at dinner, I felt better...LOL.
After lunch, we drove to Nazareth. We visited the Basilica (church) of Annunciation, where Gabriel appeared to Mary to inform her of her pending pregnancy. It was beautiful, except for when I tripped going up the stairs and busted my tail. That hurt. I was in a particularly strong spiritual mood, and prayed quietly to myself for what must have been quite some time. I did not realize that I was holding up the group, but my professor moved them forward and stayed behind so he could tell me where to go next. That was nice of him to not disturb me.
Then, we went to Kibbutz Lavi, where we spent the night. A Kibbutz is a communal settlement where people live and work in the same "enclosed" area. The Lavi residents run a hotel, a furniture company, and a 2,000 acre farm. We had a Q-And-A session with 2 residents after dinner, where they talked about their decision to move there (from Chicago) about 40 years ago. At one point, our host told of the Kibbutz' early struggles, when the residents lived in tents and barely had enough to survive. I pointed out that possibly no other group in history has had to struggle more to survive than the Jews, so maybe there is some inherently indomitable spirit that sustains them. This is what I believe.
We retired for the night, which was not long for me. I woke up at 1:00 to the loudest snores I have ever heard. My roommate was sawing some serious logs. At 2:00 AM, I finally gave up on sleep and went downstairs to read. I finished "Death of Innocents", by Sister Helen Prejean, who also wrote "Dead Man Walking". In Dean Man Walking, she explored the execution of the guilty, and in Death of Innocents, she gives an eyewitness account of the many failings of our justice system, which often results of which sometimes is killing of innocent people. I oppose the death penalty mostly on the basis that all human life is valuable, but I also feel that if there is any possibility of innocents being killed, the practice should be abolished. Michelle and I were fortunate to hear Sister Prejean speak in Memphis last fall, where she autographed our copy of each book. I defy anyone to thoughtfully consider the pros and cons of capital punishment and be in favor of it.
A little while ago, I was IMing with Michelle, and she informed me that my Aunt Mabel has passed away. So, I have gone into quite a somber mood. I am at a loss for words right now, except that I feel I have been kicked in the stomach. I am going to write some things down, and hopefully they can be shared with everyone. (Editor's note: writing stopped at 7:00 PM local time, and resumed at 8:15 PM local time.)
There is a Jewish teaching that says something like "all people come from God, and since Jerusalem is one of the names of God, all people upon death return to God." It is in this sense that I feel Mabel and I are together at this time.
I am in the lobby of the King Solomon Hotel, and am observing some interesting stuff. To my left, a young Jewish man is giving his best game to a young Jewish woman. He is a-courting her big time. To my right, two old Jewish men are discussing scripture, frequently turning to Torah in their dialogue. People watching is sometimes interesting to me.
I am currently listening to "I'd Like to Teach the World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" by The New Seekers, which some may remember from a Coke commercial in the late 70's. On a hilltop in Italy, young people from all over the world gathered and turned a great song into a commercial. One of my favorite commercials of all time, and a great song.
On Wednesday, we visited Safed, one of the 4 holy cities for Jews in Israel. According to legend, Safed is where Shem and Ever, son and grandson of Noah, established their yeshiva where Jacob studied for many years. We toured the Old Jewish Quarter, where we visited a synagogue and did some shopping in the artistic district of the Quarter. I bought a portrait of Jerusalem, got charged twice for it, and Michelle is now disputing the charge with our bank.
We drove down the mountain, dropping about 1500 feet in altitude, to the Sea of Galilee. Legend has it that this is the place where Jesus appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection, and performed the miracle of filling their fishing nets. Hence the term "breakfast" was invented when Jesus told the disciples to break their fast. When the youth group at Mount Denson fasted for 30 hours, I read from that scripture before we ate. The Church of the Primacy of Peter is located on this spot, and I had a great prayer while inside. I have found my prayers to be quite rejuvenated while I have been in the Holy Land.
We drove back up the mountain to the Golan Heights, where we were able to look down at the Sea of Galilee. I never knew the Sea is actually a fresh-water lake. Apparently the Hebrew words for "sea" and "lake" are interchangeable, and when it went from Hebrew to Greek to English, it just stayed "Sea". We ate lunch at a local Kibbutz, whose specialty is "Peter's Fish", which is a perch/bluegill served whole (with head attached). It was a fine meal, but a bit pricey at 55 shekels. Water came with the meal, but Coke or anything else was extra. I ordered a Coke before I knew it was $2 USD, then sold it to one of my classmates at cost. Someone said I should have charged him a handling fee...LOL.
After lunch came the focal point of the entire trip for me. We went to the baptismal site on the Jordan River, where I renewed my baptismal vows. It is quite awe-inspiring to think that I have been baptized in the same waters as Jesus and John. Wow. One of my classmates, who is named Carolyn, also renewed her vows, and I could not help but think that without the spiritual influence of my grandmother, also named Carolyn, I never would have been there. It certainly must have been moving for my classmate, as she wrote in her journal for about an hour afterward on the bus. There was a group of Christians from Japan there, and as we were immersed, they sang "Amazing Grace". How cool is that? Way cool.
I fell asleep on the bus afterward, among the lush greenery that decorates the Golan Heights. I woke up sometime later, about 20 minutes from Jerusalem, to find that we had moved into the harsh desert. What a change in environment! We circled the Mount of Olives, then driving into the holy City. Wow. There is a vantage point above the city that our driver and guide know about, so we went there to take pictures and enjoy our first views of the city (as we drove into the city, we drew the blinds of the bus windows). The wind was howling to the point that it would take my breath away, and the pictures will not be great due to the dust in the air, but it was a magnificent sight!
Today, we went to the Jewish Quarter in the Old City, and visited the Western Wall, which some mistakenly believe to be the holiest site for Jews. Actually, the holiest site in the world for Jews is the Temple Mount. The fact that there is a Muslim structure on it, the Dome of the Rock, has no effect on its holiness. I was again a moving experience for me to pray at the wall, knowing that millions before have prayed there, including Pope John Paul II in 2000.
The piano player in the lobby is now playing Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".
We then toured the Western Wall tunnel, and admired the engineering feats of Herod. Each of the larger blocks that form the base of the wall is estimated at about 500 tons, and not a drop of mortar was needed to secure it all in place. Wow.
We then toured the Supreme Court and the Knesset, which is the equivalent of our house of Representatives. We got to sit in the largest courtroom of the Supreme Court, which was really cool.
The piano player is now playing "Chariots of Fire". He was also playing it last night when we arrived at the hotel, and we all play-ran in slow motion like the movie. It's almost a requirement that one do that when the song is playing...LOL.
Most of the group then went to the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are located. However, a few of us were ready to call it a day, and took the bus back to the hotel. My feet and back have been hurting all day, so it was good to rest a bit. I will see the Dead Sea Scrolls the next time I come. I have a couple of books about the Scrolls, but have yet to seriously read them.
Dinner tonight was maybe the best meal of the trip, the feature of which was something close to what we call roast beef.
I am going to reflect some more on Mabel, then retire for the night.
I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...
After breakfast Tuesday, I was in the hotel lobby reading the news online, and one of my classmates was using her Dell and was unable to get online. Her sister said, "Well, his computer is working, it must be because his is a Mac." Possibly the funniest thing I have heard in quite a while.
On Tuesday, we drove along the coast of the Mediterranean to Caesarea, the city built by King Herod that became to capital of the ancient province of Palestine. We saw a lot of the archeological excavations, which feature Roman statues, the aqueduct, and the theatre. I took a bunch of great video and stills of the theatre. I learned that Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to Christianity here. Also, this is where St. Paul was arrested for inciting a riot. He demanded to be tried in Rome, which was his right as a Roman citizen, so he was taken there and later martyred.
After that, we continued up the coast, and visited a Druze village at Mount Carmel. The Druze are a secretive religious group that worships the God of Abraham, and is sort of a hybrid between Judaism and Islam. As I said, they are very secretive, to the point that unless one is a "religious" (read: orthodox) Druze, reading Scripture is forbidden, and the penalty can be death. So, the running joke has been that if someone asks someone else what they know about the Druze, the answer is, "I don't know anything about the Druze." So, what I have just told you is of course not anything that I know myself, but only what I have heard...LOL.
We enjoyed a traditional Druze lunch in the home, and it was quite tasty. I have no idea what I ate, but it was good. Especially when the RC Cola came out! I resisted the urge to ask for a Moon Pie...LOL. I guess one thing many people are wondering is how the food is. I have tried almost everything I have seen, and for the most part I have enjoyed what I have eaten. There is a lot of fruit at every meal, such as peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, apples, and grapefruit. Also, many of the meals we have had have been vegetarian. By dinner Tuesday, I had gone 1.5 days without any meat and my body was revolting. I was not feeling well, but after some meat at dinner, I felt better...LOL.
After lunch, we drove to Nazareth. We visited the Basilica (church) of Annunciation, where Gabriel appeared to Mary to inform her of her pending pregnancy. It was beautiful, except for when I tripped going up the stairs and busted my tail. That hurt. I was in a particularly strong spiritual mood, and prayed quietly to myself for what must have been quite some time. I did not realize that I was holding up the group, but my professor moved them forward and stayed behind so he could tell me where to go next. That was nice of him to not disturb me.
Then, we went to Kibbutz Lavi, where we spent the night. A Kibbutz is a communal settlement where people live and work in the same "enclosed" area. The Lavi residents run a hotel, a furniture company, and a 2,000 acre farm. We had a Q-And-A session with 2 residents after dinner, where they talked about their decision to move there (from Chicago) about 40 years ago. At one point, our host told of the Kibbutz' early struggles, when the residents lived in tents and barely had enough to survive. I pointed out that possibly no other group in history has had to struggle more to survive than the Jews, so maybe there is some inherently indomitable spirit that sustains them. This is what I believe.
We retired for the night, which was not long for me. I woke up at 1:00 to the loudest snores I have ever heard. My roommate was sawing some serious logs. At 2:00 AM, I finally gave up on sleep and went downstairs to read. I finished "Death of Innocents", by Sister Helen Prejean, who also wrote "Dead Man Walking". In Dean Man Walking, she explored the execution of the guilty, and in Death of Innocents, she gives an eyewitness account of the many failings of our justice system, which often results of which sometimes is killing of innocent people. I oppose the death penalty mostly on the basis that all human life is valuable, but I also feel that if there is any possibility of innocents being killed, the practice should be abolished. Michelle and I were fortunate to hear Sister Prejean speak in Memphis last fall, where she autographed our copy of each book. I defy anyone to thoughtfully consider the pros and cons of capital punishment and be in favor of it.
A little while ago, I was IMing with Michelle, and she informed me that my Aunt Mabel has passed away. So, I have gone into quite a somber mood. I am at a loss for words right now, except that I feel I have been kicked in the stomach. I am going to write some things down, and hopefully they can be shared with everyone. (Editor's note: writing stopped at 7:00 PM local time, and resumed at 8:15 PM local time.)
There is a Jewish teaching that says something like "all people come from God, and since Jerusalem is one of the names of God, all people upon death return to God." It is in this sense that I feel Mabel and I are together at this time.
I am in the lobby of the King Solomon Hotel, and am observing some interesting stuff. To my left, a young Jewish man is giving his best game to a young Jewish woman. He is a-courting her big time. To my right, two old Jewish men are discussing scripture, frequently turning to Torah in their dialogue. People watching is sometimes interesting to me.
I am currently listening to "I'd Like to Teach the World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" by The New Seekers, which some may remember from a Coke commercial in the late 70's. On a hilltop in Italy, young people from all over the world gathered and turned a great song into a commercial. One of my favorite commercials of all time, and a great song.
On Wednesday, we visited Safed, one of the 4 holy cities for Jews in Israel. According to legend, Safed is where Shem and Ever, son and grandson of Noah, established their yeshiva where Jacob studied for many years. We toured the Old Jewish Quarter, where we visited a synagogue and did some shopping in the artistic district of the Quarter. I bought a portrait of Jerusalem, got charged twice for it, and Michelle is now disputing the charge with our bank.
We drove down the mountain, dropping about 1500 feet in altitude, to the Sea of Galilee. Legend has it that this is the place where Jesus appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection, and performed the miracle of filling their fishing nets. Hence the term "breakfast" was invented when Jesus told the disciples to break their fast. When the youth group at Mount Denson fasted for 30 hours, I read from that scripture before we ate. The Church of the Primacy of Peter is located on this spot, and I had a great prayer while inside. I have found my prayers to be quite rejuvenated while I have been in the Holy Land.
We drove back up the mountain to the Golan Heights, where we were able to look down at the Sea of Galilee. I never knew the Sea is actually a fresh-water lake. Apparently the Hebrew words for "sea" and "lake" are interchangeable, and when it went from Hebrew to Greek to English, it just stayed "Sea". We ate lunch at a local Kibbutz, whose specialty is "Peter's Fish", which is a perch/bluegill served whole (with head attached). It was a fine meal, but a bit pricey at 55 shekels. Water came with the meal, but Coke or anything else was extra. I ordered a Coke before I knew it was $2 USD, then sold it to one of my classmates at cost. Someone said I should have charged him a handling fee...LOL.
After lunch came the focal point of the entire trip for me. We went to the baptismal site on the Jordan River, where I renewed my baptismal vows. It is quite awe-inspiring to think that I have been baptized in the same waters as Jesus and John. Wow. One of my classmates, who is named Carolyn, also renewed her vows, and I could not help but think that without the spiritual influence of my grandmother, also named Carolyn, I never would have been there. It certainly must have been moving for my classmate, as she wrote in her journal for about an hour afterward on the bus. There was a group of Christians from Japan there, and as we were immersed, they sang "Amazing Grace". How cool is that? Way cool.
I fell asleep on the bus afterward, among the lush greenery that decorates the Golan Heights. I woke up sometime later, about 20 minutes from Jerusalem, to find that we had moved into the harsh desert. What a change in environment! We circled the Mount of Olives, then driving into the holy City. Wow. There is a vantage point above the city that our driver and guide know about, so we went there to take pictures and enjoy our first views of the city (as we drove into the city, we drew the blinds of the bus windows). The wind was howling to the point that it would take my breath away, and the pictures will not be great due to the dust in the air, but it was a magnificent sight!
Today, we went to the Jewish Quarter in the Old City, and visited the Western Wall, which some mistakenly believe to be the holiest site for Jews. Actually, the holiest site in the world for Jews is the Temple Mount. The fact that there is a Muslim structure on it, the Dome of the Rock, has no effect on its holiness. I was again a moving experience for me to pray at the wall, knowing that millions before have prayed there, including Pope John Paul II in 2000.
The piano player in the lobby is now playing Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".
We then toured the Western Wall tunnel, and admired the engineering feats of Herod. Each of the larger blocks that form the base of the wall is estimated at about 500 tons, and not a drop of mortar was needed to secure it all in place. Wow.
We then toured the Supreme Court and the Knesset, which is the equivalent of our house of Representatives. We got to sit in the largest courtroom of the Supreme Court, which was really cool.
The piano player is now playing "Chariots of Fire". He was also playing it last night when we arrived at the hotel, and we all play-ran in slow motion like the movie. It's almost a requirement that one do that when the song is playing...LOL.
Most of the group then went to the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are located. However, a few of us were ready to call it a day, and took the bus back to the hotel. My feet and back have been hurting all day, so it was good to rest a bit. I will see the Dead Sea Scrolls the next time I come. I have a couple of books about the Scrolls, but have yet to seriously read them.
Dinner tonight was maybe the best meal of the trip, the feature of which was something close to what we call roast beef.
I am going to reflect some more on Mabel, then retire for the night.
I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...
posted by Chris Winn | 4:27 PM
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