Beauty and Sorrow - Day 6 in Israel

Once again, I was up before dawn. Sarah suggested that if I wanted to be a morning person, that this would be my time zone. I would kind of like to be a morning person, but I love Chicago.

Anyway, we were up before dawn, and while it was still dark we walked to the Old City! Entering through the Jaffa Gate, we were greeted by the church bells ringing, calling us to mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many believe the man Jesus was crucified. We followed a couple of sisters down the narrow, cobbled streets to the service. Actually, there were several sevrices from which to choose, all in the same majestic church structure. I cannot begin to describe the beauty of the cacauphony of voices all greeting the day worshipping to the Divine. We attended the Latin mass, complete with organ and congregational singing, and in the same room, the Coptic celebrants were chanting their praise in transcendent harmony. And at one point, I even heard the muezzin calling the Muslim faithful to prayer in the Muslim Quarter. And during our time of prayer, the sun rose and flooded the church with light from the windowed dome overhead. What a glorious way to begin the day!!

Jerusalem is a beautiful city. Enchanting and captivating. Yet deeply divided and tragically filled with sadness. Returning to Jerusalem from our visit to Ramallah (where we met with a brilliant Palestinian pollster who told us of the latests public opinions in Gaza and the West Bank), Carol, a woman in our group mentioned that she would love to live in Jerusalem. My immediate response was not that this is not my timezone but rather, "Oh, I don't think I could. This place would would break my heart. Everyday." Then she taught us a song she had learned, which contained these lines:

Ten measures of beauty God gave to the world.

Nine to Jerusalem; one to the rest.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Ten measures of sorrow God gave to the world.

Nine to Jerusalem; one to the rest.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

I don't know. This place has gotten under my skin. And I am learning the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim: A tourist passes through a place, and a pilgrim lets a place pass through them. I imagine it will take me a while to process this trip and perhaps a lifetime to understand how this place has shaped me. But I love this land. And as I leave from here tomorrow, I know that I will forever pray for (and work for!) the peace of Jerusalem and indeed all of this holy land.