Saturday - Outside the City

on February 26, 2011 by Walt Dilg

Saturday – Outside the City

                A few folk have shared with me their difficulty in sleeping through the night.  Not caused by the time change of 10 hours from San Diego or hotel beds though.  Rather they all report it’s due to the processing of the day spent and the anticipation of the one coming.  Each day seems better than the prior, and an accumulation of marvel and deep reflection is building.

                Today we began on top of Mount Olivet with a  gorgeous view of the Old City from that eastern angle.  We then journeyed down what’s called the Palm Sunday path, stopping half way down the hillside at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus’ weeping over the city is commemorated.  On the grounds are a beautifully sensitive chapel and some very interesting graves that teach well the style of burial in Jesus’ day.  Back to the path we continued down pass the Russian Church honoring Mary Magdalene with the striking gold onion spire tops to Gethsemane.  Ancient olive trees fill the garden entrance to one of the most remarkable churches here.  Since a number of countries helped cover its cost and they are represented in the multiple domes, the church is often referred to as the Church of All nations.  Inside as the altar is the stone on which Jesus agonized in tearful prayer prior to his betrayed and arrested.   It is powerful being in this place – many of us were moved to tears ourselves over our Lord’s unfolding passion.   We then made a quick stop to honor Oscar Schindler at his grave.  We added more stones of our own to the gravestone, following the sacred Jewish tradition.    

                A visit to the crusader structure on the site of the last Supper and David’s Tomb followed.   There is an interesting cornice piece of a pelican mother sacrificing herself for the good of her children, which is thought to be from the earlier Byzantine church in this location and bearing witness to this being the site of that first communion.  We then entered the Old City through the Zion gate and made a quick stop at the Cardo, the main thoroughfare of the ancient Roman city.  Simply remarkable, this kind of time-traveling is.   Next we made a special stop at our tour guides home church, St. Marks Syriac Orthodox Church.  This was not on the tour, but when we learned he was among the “living stones” of Jerusalem, he agreed to welcome us into his religious home.  Being Orthodox, we were greeted with numerous icons, one of which has a tradition of healing powers since it was painted by St. Luke of Luke’s Gospel and is of Mary and baby Jesus.  The church is in a building built soon after the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 ce, and is reported to be the home of John Mark’s mother, a place in which the disciples stayed.   It doesn’t get much better than this for someone with an active religious imagination.

                The afternoon ended with a moving visit to St. Peter of Galicantu, often referred to as Caiaphas’ house.  The two level church is evocative of the moment in Jesus’ life which is when he was brought before Caiaphas the interrogation, some physical abuse, and imprisonment for some period of time (perhaps a night).   Reading Psalm 88 in the prison and then having the lights go off drove the emotional point home to all of us. 

                Such feelings of excitement have been ours as we drew near to the Old City and now are finding our way around and into it.  We are coming into contact with the sites of such important occurrences in Western civilization and we are being touched in ways and at levels that will leave an imprint forever.  We are being blessed.