One Body

Though we are many, we are one body, 
because we all share in one bread. 

It is Sunday morning, the sabbath is over and the orthodox Jews in our Jerusalem neighborhood are starting their work week. Traffic is noticeably heavier from the day before and the sidewalks are full of children heading to school. But it is our sabbath day. We are dressed in our travel Sunday best and we are headed to church. 

Our destination is St. Andrews Episcopal Church, deep in the heart of the occupied territory in Ramallah. Ramallah serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority. To get there, we travelled through an armed checkpoint, with Palestinians lined up to be questioned and searched. Once on the other side of the wall, the landscape changed - the population is denser, the vegetation is sparser and browner as the Palestinian areas receive water only once every seven to 10 days. Even the cars are different with white and green license plates marking Palestinian cars for greater scrutiny while the Jewish citizens whiz through the checkpoints with their yellow plates.

A young girl dressed in an acolyte's red cassock greets us and then continues to prepare for the service. We are given service booklets in English and a separate leaflet with the day's readings and hymns. Father Fadi Diab welcomed us and encouraged us to participate in English, while warning that it would be a "bit like Pentacost." Then he generously, and progressively, invited Mother Julia and Mother Posey to vest with him explicitly because he wanted the girls in his congregation to see ordained women celebrating in the church. 

And Pentecost it was! The Holy Spirit worked its miracles as we sang beloved hymns and prayed our familiar prayers simultaneously in two languages. The readings were read in one language with those fluent in the other language read along in their leaflet, while the Gospel was read by Father Fadi and Mother Posey in their respective tongue. Even Father Fadi's sermon interweaved the languages so that everyone heard him preach the message of forgiving our enemies. Throughout it all was this sense of familiarity and solace that even 7,000 miles from home, we are still in our church home. The same readings were read in our home parishes five and a half hours later. The same prayers for the people. The same declarations of our faith.

But we weren't at Trinity...or All Saint's...or St. John's Georgetown...or the Church of the Ascension, NYC. We were in the middle of Ramallah, behind a wall. We were celebrating the Eucharist with descendants of the very first Christians who date back to the original Pentecost. We were breaking bread with Christians in the Holy Land who have watched their population diminish to now under 1% of the Israeli population. We were one body with people who face daily discrimination and persecution.

As we took communion, our hosts sang an Arabic hymn and you could feel the Holy Spirit at work in this beautiful little church. Speaking in our own tongues, bringing our own experiences to the Lord's table, we shared in the bread and began to understand that we are one body.  

John Bridge's Travelogue: Day 4

 

Worship service at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah. Ramallah is an Arab town in what is known as the Occupied Territory. St. Andrew’s is a parish in the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Our group worshipped with the parish’s congregants today. The small church was full and vibrant. (Christianity in Israel is in sharp decline, however. Fifty years ago, over 20% of the country’s population was Christian. Today, it is under 1%.) The service was performed in a combination of English and Arabic. Of the four hymns we sang, three (“How Great Thou Art,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and “The Church’s One Foundation”) are familiar to most American Protestants. We Americans sang in English, and the local congregants sang in Arabic. The local congregants also sang a hymn in Arabic that was unfamiliar to us. 

I was honored to read the Epistle from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (“What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.”) The church’s rector, Father Fadi Diab, delivered a sermon - alternately in English and Arabic - on the Gospel of Luke’s passage in which Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Mother Julia and Mother Posey Krakowsky also celebrated the service with Father Diab. The service was very emotional, and some of our pilgrims admitted to crying during the service. We joined the local congregants after the service for a wonderful coffee hour and lots of discussions.

We then had another incredible lunch, after which we returned to St. George’s Cathedral. There we had an informative talk and discussion about Islam by Firas Amad, a Muslim scholar. We finished the day with dinner and the Anglican evening service of Compline, which contains the following beautiful prayer: “Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.” 

John Bridge's Travelogue: Day 3

A more gentle day outside the Old City after the emotional day inside the Old City yesterday. We took a bus to the top of Mount Scopus, the site of Hebrew University. From there, we had great views of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, and the Judean Wilderness. 

Jerusalem from Mount Scopus. Note the Old City Walls enclosing the gold Dome of the Rock (Muslim) on the left and the green double-domed Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christian) on the right.

Hebrew University. 

Cathy and me.

We then went to the Orient Restaurant for an authentic Arabian “zarb” lunch. Why are we doing so many Arabian things? Because our guides, like us, are Christian members of the Anglican Communion who also happen to be Arabian, i.e., Palestinian. Palestinian Christians say they are among the first Christians and trace their lineage to Pentacost as recorded in the Book of Acts. Of course, the Jewish followers of Jesus also were among the first Christians.

From there we went to Herodion, the combination fortress/ palace built by Herod the Great. Herod was a Jewish ruler of Judea during the Roman Empire. He was the puppet of the Romans and generally hated by the Jewish populace. He was a paranoid psychopath who killed two wives and two sons because he believed they were a threat to him. According to the Gospel of Matthew, he was visited by the three Magi who told him of the birth of Jesus and, as a result, he ordered the slaughter of the innocents. Herod was also a great builder who constructed many massive projects, including his combination fortress/palace which he named after himself.

Church visible on the way to Herodion.

Ruins of columns and wall.

View from Herodion. The palace stood on an artificial mountain built by Jewish slaves.

Ruins of baths seen from Herodion.

Inside the palace ruins.

A view of the Dead Sea from Herodion.

Old Friends - Holy City - New Experiences

My old roommate, Rena, moved to Israel a few years ago and through the miracle of social media, we were able to arrange for a couple of drinks and time to catch up in the Holy Land. Rena pulls up in her protective leather jacket carrying an extra helmet for me. I climb onto the back of her motorcycle, and get a good grip on the side handles on the back of the bike. This is my first real time on a motorcycle, I ask her, "It's just like a Jetski right? Just stay in the middle." She says, "Sure, you on?" And off we go.

We weave through a few back streets on the way to the pub, I'm pestering her with questions and translations as we go. Luckily Rena speaks fluent Hebrew and helps me order from the waitress in rapid Hebrew. With burgers and wine at a small bar nook, we had a wonderful time catching up on old college friends and new jobs.

On the way home, we took the main drags, and I was so happy we did. We start out at a good pace, the GPS directs us past yellow license plates and street side shops. We dip into a large two way tunnel for a few moments and emerge at the old city walls. I pause, this was a moment that was made completely possible by modern technology and we are zipping past one of the most historical cities. The view of Rena's handle bars and the old stone defenses of Jerusalem was a visual juxtaposition to say the least.

I am so lucky to have a unique experience in the Holy Land. My old friend and I had a wonderful exchange of ideas and traditions in a place that is holy for both of us. It was just like old days on Atwater Street in Bloomington, Indiana. Only instead of swinging our legs off the porch of the old college house, we cling to Rena's motorcycle, half way across the world in the Holy City.

-Lizzie

John Bridge's Travelogue: Day 2

We begin at the end, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. The church is built over the sites where it is believed Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. The first basilica was built here between 326 and 335 CE by the Roman Emperor Constantine (who had made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire) at the suggestion of his mother, St. Helena. St. Helena had visited Jerusalem and recorded early oral histories of the execution and resurrection of Jesus. These traditions and archeological finds supporting them are largely consistent with the Gospels’ versions of those events. Regardless of whether the exact locations of the crucifixion and resurrection have been pinpointed with total accuracy, they certainly at least occurred close by. The current church was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century but extensively repaired in the 19th and 20th centuries after fires and an earthquake caused great damage.

On the way. Signage in Hebrew, Arabic, and English

Walking to the church on a “cardo” (a market street) in the Old City. 

The dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

A chapel of the Coptic (Egyptian) Orthodox Church. Six Christian denominations have dominion over different parts of the church: Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic. No Protestants, including Anglicans, have any control in the church. The denominations with control were established before the Reformation.

On the roof of the church. Ethiopian Orthodox monks live in small quarters here. 

On the roof. 

On the roof

Standing in line to view the Chapels of Golgotha (Hebrew for “the Place of the Skull”), which was translated to Calvary in Latin. 

The Roman Catholic Chapel. The altar stands over the stone where it is believed Jesus was nailed to the cross. 

The Altar of the Stabat Mater, honoring the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, who watched her son be publicly and cruelly executed. The carved wood bust of Mary dates from the 18th century. 

The Greek Orthodox Chapel. The altar is believed to stand over the spot where Jesus was crucified. Beneath the altar is a hole in the floor where pilgrims can reach through and touch Golgotha. Yes, I did it. 

Outside the chapels. 

Inside the church

A church service by Asian Catholics. 

The Shrine of the Tomb of Christ below the church rotunda. 

The Shrine of the Tomb of Christ. We intend to visit the tomb of the risen Christ at the end of our pilgrimage. 

The Chapel of St. Helena, who visited Jerusalem in the 4th century and encouraged her son, Emporer Constantine, to build the first basilica here. It is possible that this room was used as a prison to hold Jesus to await execution after he had been flogged.

Inside the church

The Chapel of Adam, where the crack in the rock of Golgatha can be plainly seen. Tradition holds that the crack was caused by the earthquake that followed the death of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Matthew. 

Another view of the shrine. 

Part of the stone to which, according to tradition, Jesus was tied to be flogged by Roman soldiers.

 The Stone of Unction, where pilgrims have commemorated the cleaning and wrapping of Jesus’s body since the Middle Ages.

A ceiling in the church. Under Christ is thought to be the center of the world. 

On the stairway to the Chapel of St. Helena. Pilgrims carved these crosses in the limestone wall. Pilgrims have come to this church for over 1,600 years. 

John Bridge's Travelogue: Day 1

Jerusalem. The Holy Land. Epicenter of the three Abrahamic religions, a/k/a the Religions of the Book: Judiaism (since 7th century BCE), Christianity (since 1st century CE), and Islam (since 7th century CE). Here, Solomon built the First Temple, in which God resided. Here, Christ was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. Here, Muhammad left on his night journey to heaven to talk with God. More than half of the people in the world adhere to one of these three religions. Yet this area where they began is tiny. I am with a wonderful group of people who are mostly parishioners of Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, and the rest of whom are friends and family. It will be a fascinating several days!

Most of our crew 

St. George’s Cathedral (Anglican), Jerusalem. Built by the British from 1891 to 1898 and named for the patron saint of England, who actually was a Palestinian Christian conscript in the Roman army who was martyred in 303 CE. The congregation today consists of indigenous Palestinian Anglicans and expatriate British Anglicans. Our home base for most of the trip. 

In the courtyard of St. George's.

Tower of the Rockefeller Museum, built in 1927. One of the most important museums in the Middle East.

Herod’s Gate in the Old City Walls. These city walls are not the original Jewish walls, which were destroyed when the Romans razed Jerusalem in 70 CE. These walls were built in the 16th Century CE by the Ottoman Turkish sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent.

The Old City Walls. On the inside of these walls is the Muslim Quarter. Inside the walls elsewhere are also the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter.

Old City Walls

The Damascus Gate in the Old City Walls. 

A Palestinian neighborhood near the Old City. 

A Palestinian market street. We ate lunch at a Palestinian restaurant, Alshoula Restaurant, and it was delicious!