A VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

Join me as we journey round the Holy Land. After Day 1 we shall be reflecting on these Biblical Events of what we call Holy Week and pausing for prayer at various key places.

Many of these photos are taken by me: a few from open source downloads. Prayers come from various sources.

Creator God, you are the source of all life and motivation.
May we journey in faith and love, rejoicing and eager to serve you.
Grant us a glimpse of your glory as we seek to follow you –
the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen

May God the Father who created you, guide your footsteps,
May God the Son who redeemed you, share your journey,
May God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you, lead you on life’s pilgrimage,
and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with you wherever you may go. Amen.

Our flight leaves Heathrow late in the evening and we arrive at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv before the sun is up. By the time we have picked up our luggage and cleared customs we are met by our guide who will be with us for the whole journey. Fortunately no one’s luggage has been lost!  So we board our air-conditioned coach and head towards Jerusalem and we head towards Mount Scopus, near the University where we can get our first glimpse of the city, laid out before us in the early morning sun. Wh
at a wonderful sight, as we see the Golden Dome of the Rock, as well as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which tradition believes, covers the place where Jesus was crucified and laid to rest in his tomb – more of which further down the line! For now we are blown away by this our first glimpse of Jerusalem, and get our bearings, before boarding our coach for the short trip to the Golden Walls hotel where a team from the hotel unload our luggage and carry the cases up to the first floor reception area where we are welcomed with a glass of fruit juice.  Keys are handed out, rooms discovered and inspected and then breakfast! So welcome after a long night! 

 People are left to their own devices for the morning, to unpack, rest and gird up their loins for the busy days ahead, which will begin after lunch with a walking tour of the Old City. Our hotel is brilliantly situated across the road from The Damascus Gate, which is situated on the north-west of the city walls. The Old City is completely encircled by the wall which has seven gates, Damascus, New, Jaffa, Zion, Dung, Golden Wall Hotel Reception AreaLion’s (sometimes called Stephen’s) and Herod’s. There is also a sealed-up gate called the Golden Gate, through which Jewish believer say the Messiah will arrive. 

So, we head off in through the Damascus Gate – immediately one is hit by the

busyness in these narrow streets – lots of market traders, (lovely aromas!) small shops – people walking around, both pilgrims and locals going about their daily work. I remember my first visit in, I think 1989, not long after the second intifada when there was tension between Palestinians and Jews. Normally they live cheek by jowl in this city and peacefully co-exist, but there are tensions which are very real about land ownership -and much more. Up and down these narrow alleys in the suk drove Israeli jeeps ensuring that the shops were shut – they were allowed to be open for about three hours in the morning and then everything was closed down and one walked through a ghost town, interrupted only by having to squeeze against the wall while an armed jeep drove past. Fortunately things are a little better now, although the major questions remain unsettled. But life goes on!

As we walk through the suk beware being beguiled into a shop on this your first day! For they only want one thing – for you to buy clothes, trinkets, mementos at vastly inflated prices. You will be welcomed in with invitations to coffee- and if you accept you are halfway to sealing the bargain for now you cannot leave without a purchase! Hone your haggling skills, but for now don’t enter, but stick with the party as you begin to find your way around the Old City.

At the first junction our guide takes us left down part of the Via Dolorosa pointing out places like the Praetorium and the Chapel of Flagellation, but we do not stop long for we will walk the Via Dolorosa and pray the Stations later in the week. We pop in to the church of St Annes. A beautiful simple Franciscan Church with the most amazing acoustics. St Anne was the mother of Mary, and we shall come here again and sing and listen to the echo!

We wend our way passing the Dome of the Rock and the el Aqsa mosque before seeing the Western Wall. This is what remains of the old Temple and effectively provides an outdoor synagogue for Jews to come and pray. But we won’t linger for now we wend our way towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We pause in the courtyard as our guide tells us about this holy site. Inside this incredible basilica are chapels maintained by about  six different denominations of the Christian Church: The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic, and to a lesser degree the Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox.

They fight jealously over their territory and worship can sometimes become a cacophony of sound as they each try to sing louder than their neighbours. No wonder they keys to the Church have been held by a Muslim family over many centuries. My, how these Christians love one another!

Despite all that, it really is very special to be there and to experience the feel of being close to the places where it is believed these events actually took place. It is difficult to comprehend that the site of this basilica, now in the heart of the Old City, was originally outside the city wall and might well have been the sight of the crucifixion. But more of that later. For now, it is time to return to the hotel, where prior to the evening meal, we will reflect on the day and worship together.  Tomorrow will be an early start so it will be early to bed, because we will need to be off at 8.00 a.m. We will start at the top of the Mount of Olives and walk down and into Jerusalem. Join me then.