"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
Many visiting the Holy Land bring cameras...and well they should, there is lot to photograph.
But few bring tape recorders and that is a shame because the sounds of this land are as interesting and inspirational as the sights.
When standing on top of a high mountain, the only sound may be that of the wind. John records that, in his preaching, Jesus referred to the wind, something the sojourners in those hills would know about, when he said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
As one walks into and through the old city of jerusalem, the shop keepers maintain a constant cacophany, hawking their wares, offering tea if we would come and admire their merchandise, yelling at the shop keepers across the alley, young Palestinian women properly wearing their burkhas which almost cover their full face talking on their cell phones and tourists and tour guides yelling to be heard in as many tongues as there are languages in the world.
As one enters the area of the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall, one hears the sorrowful petitions of Jews with their heads against the wall at the same time as joyful families come into the square singing and dancing to celebrate a Bar Mitzva.
Several times a day, the loudspeakers on the minarets of the many Muslim Mosques blare out the calls to prayer and muslims begin their prayers.
Christians gather in their several churches, cathedrals, chapels for mass...in all traditions, Latin, Greek, Russian, Armenian, Slavic and others, and all are open to tourists and visitors and all with full ceremonial propriety...many with beautiful music from organ or choir, all with the chants of the priests in their native language.
Some churches have special traditions, such as the singing in St. Annes (see the previous blogpage). Some of the most beautiful and inspired singing came from the voices of groups that entered that sanctuary, sang and left, leaving behind only their harmonious echo.
Throughout the land, whether in the old city or on the Mount of Olives or where Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount, groups sang. In the grotto of the Church of the Nativity a small group gathered around the place where Jesus was said to be born and sang Silent Night.
Our tour leader insisted that each time we crossed the Jordan river we sing a different "Jordan song". Our group had spirit if not sonority and most could not remember all the words, but the point was clear, there is a river Jordan that inspired all the hymns, gospel songs and modern renditions that include its name.
Finally, there is the sound of love.
Admittedly, this is a land of much tension and division. It still shows scars of its embattled history...from the 17 century BCE to the 1967 war and to today's continuing struggle for freedom, independence, security and peace. Yet, to the person, everywhere I go, I am cordially greeted with a Shalom or a similar Palestinian greeting. East bank or West bank, museum or restaurant, cab driver or just people on the street, I have heard nothing but the sound of love.
