Frederick Weatherly, a 19th century English lawyer and prolific lyricist, wrote these words, now the favorite hymn, The Holy City:
Last night I lay a-sleeping
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Me thought the voice of angels
From heaven in answer rang.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Me thought the voice of angels
From heaven in answer rang.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!
As our group began our exploration of the world's most holy site from a beautiful vista on the Mount of Olives, a pastor of another tour group just to our right was singing in a sonorous baritone (that could be heard all over the mountain) the words of this magnificent praise to this extraordinary city that continues to live on despite the many attempts to destroy it or prevent its worshippers from making the pilgramage to visit and pray here.
All over the mountain side, in grottos or olive groves, on church porches and in lush gardens, tour groups, probably of separate faith congregations, gathered to quietly pray, sing, meditate, hear their pastor's sermon, participate in a mass, or just stand in awe of this miracle, a manifestation of man's recognition that there is a supreme and spiritual power to whom all men, in what ever form each finds most satisfying, must come to pray.
Our group gathered in the shade beneath a tree overlooking the old city of Jerusalem in the distance as our tour guide read passages from the Bible concerning the history and signficance of Jerusalem.
Our day included a visit to the garden of Gethsemane. This little spot of quiet where Jesus finally saw the importance of separating spiritual being from the mortal, was our little spot of quiet to each individually reflect on how the life and teachings of Christ are helping each of us to find our more spiritual being. This was probably the most satisfying twenty minutes of the trip.
But we did not stop.
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is interesting because it includes in one structure (although portions built at different times)a Church for the Greek Orthodox, a church for the Armenian congregation and a Cathedral for the latin catholic faith. In the subterranean grotto, are the spots where Jesus was born, where was placed his manger and where the Shepherds came to honor him.
One of the highlights of the day was lunch. Wait. Don't get on my case just yet. We went to a not to fancy mass feeding facility, one used by many of the tour bus companies, so we could get our shwarma in pita bread and a coke.
After our bus load came in, we were followed by a bus load of tourists from India, probably Hindu. Shortly, a group of asians joined us. Our Palestinian hosts served all of us, including Christian travelers of all stripes. Why was this a highlight? It made me think of the last several days traveling with Christian, Muslim and Jewish guides, through busy neigborhoods filled with a lot of Israelis, Palestinians, and Christians, I had to wonder, with so much good will among such diverse people, how is it that that the leadership of Israel and Palestine haven't figured out where the problem is?
Maybe the answer is to be found in the Garden of Gethsemane.
