Greetings from Day 6. A few more thoughts from yesterday. Masada was like no other place we've been in terms of archaeology. Nothing in scripture about the place (wasn't really written about until after 73 AD, but Herod built the most incredible fortress atop this unique mountain right in the middle of the desert). It's almost impossible to comprehend the scope of his building prowess. After the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, a group of zealot freedom fighters fled Jerusalem and took up refuge in the fortress. They stayed here for three years, fighting nearly 20,000 Roman troops & slaves. They finally succumbed when the Romans, in an amazing feat of their own, built an earthen ramp that reached the peak. They hauled a battering ram to the top, breached the wall & entered Masada. More than 960 Jews took their own lives in order to avoid the slavery and torture from their captives. In addition to being a spectacular archaeological site, Masada is a powerful reminder of what the human spirit is capable of. It is also a reminder of the brutal wars the people of Israel have been fighting in the name of freedom for several millenia.

At the end of the day, we spent a wonderful evening in the home of some Palestinian Christians in the occupied territory of Bethlehem. The evening offered up a unique, organic & in-depth look at the nature of the tension between Israel & the Palestinians. Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall, and the Palestinians are allowed out of the region only at the discretion of the Israelis. It is essentially an open-air prison. I realize this is a complex problem,and the intent of our trip was not an immersion in the political turmoil of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But I was grateful for the evening and to opportunity to dine inside the wall with some very special people. I have a richer understanding of the grave nature of this problem & the human rights ramifications in the Middle East. I can tell you that it takes on a whole new meaning when you put a real human face on it rather than just the images from CNN. The world cannot continue to survive with so much hatred and rage. I can only imagine what Christ would think about the situation here. How long must He weep over Jerusalem and its surrounding communities?


DAY 6 - Today we hit the ground running early. Today is one of two major Muslim holidays - the Day of Sacrifice. The streets were teaming with people. It was chaotic and colorful. I loved the energy of Jerusalem this morning. We walked the Via Dolorosa today - the way of the cross. On this journey you walk the 14 traditional stations of Jesus' trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Christian pilgrims really long for something tangible to connect them with Christ & this is one of the ways to do it. You start out inside the Antonia Fortress of Jerusalem where Jesus was condemned to death. From here you walk throughout the old city, following the journey Christ made to the cross. There were pilgrims from around the world making this journey, some carrying heavy crosses on their backs to help "feel" the experience. Of the 14 stations, 8 are Biblical, so we stopped at each and read scripture. It really makes the Bible come alive. We finally ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - the church St. Helena commissioned over the site of the tomb where Christ was believed to be buried. This party of the pilgrimage is far more about faith than specifics f location. It's hard to say exactly where everything happened, but the traditional locations provide a great opportunity to connect with the tangible experience of Jesus' final walk. People get a bit goofy once inside the Sepulchre - the priests who work there themselves broke out in a fist fight just last week.

Along the way today, we also hit the five porticoes at Bethesda. This was a particularly powerful spiritual experience. To see where Jesus healed the man who had been paralyzed for 3+ decades was pretty overwhelming. We stayed here awhile & prayed for the health ministry of our church and for those in our church family struggling from health problems individually. We also sat and sang some hymns inside St. Anne's, home to some of the best acoustics in the world. Even I can sing in this place. Dave has lugged his guitar all over Israel & he has been GREAT! !! This, to me, was far more spiritual than the mad house of the Sepulchre.

Topped off the day at the home of Caiaphas where Jesus was judged first by the high priest. There is a dungeon below where Jesus likely stayed for a bit, and a path of 1st century stairs where almost all scholars would agree Jesus actually walked.

Tomorrow we will hold a communion service at the Garden Tomb to cap off the trip. I'll stay in touch tomorrow as best I can. Some of us are headed to Egypt & some of us are coming home.

Blessings!