When we got to Jerusalem, it was "wow" all over again. After you got past the Jaffa Gate, there was a road. The entrance to the alleys and the shops was narrow, though I don't see why. Once you go into the opening, you enter a world of color and sound. It is so nice, although everything was overpriced. I was hoping to buy Christmas presents there, but Dad said to wait until we got to the night market in Thailand where everything is really cheap. So if you do get a present from me, it might be a little late- sorry.We walked around for almost the whole day in Jerusalem, from around 10:00am to 6:00pm. (I got to see the kitty that I met last time! She was so cute!) I saw The Church of the Holy
Sepulcher. It was originally built by the mother of Emperor Constantine in 330 A.D. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher commemorates the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial. It is so dark and gloomy, just like I imagined a church would be like. It was all made of stone, with these beautiful murals on the walls and altars and stuff.We also went to the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is believed by many to be the garden and sepulcher of Joseph of Arimathea, and therefore a possible site of the resurrection of Jesus. It is a quiet place preserved for worship and reflection. There are lots of trees and flowers planted there, and so many birds that it sounds like a rainforest-except the weather is cooler.
Lastly we went to the Western (Wailing) Wall. The Western Wall is the retaining wall of the Second Temple, the only part of it left since it's destruction. The Jews go there to pray and relieve their sorrows. The tradition is to write a wish on a scrap of paper and put it in the cracks on the Wall. The young girl next to me at the Wall was reading in her prayerbook and crying. I cried, too. I also wrote a poem about it:
It holds the people's hopes
and the people's dreams.
It holds sorrow,
hope, and anger.
It holds the prayers of people
from many generations,
of many countries.
It is what the people depend on
to help them.
It is what they cry on,
and thank if they're prayers
are answered.
It's name
is the Western Wall.
and the people's dreams.
It holds sorrow,
hope, and anger.
It holds the prayers of people
from many generations,
of many countries.
It is what the people depend on
to help them.
It is what they cry on,
and thank if they're prayers
are answered.
It's name
is the Western Wall.
1 comment:
Aloha Rachael...someday you will be so happy to re-read all your notes from this momentous trip you're taking. I so enjoy your perspective, and the photos are such a treat. Take care. Katie
Post a Comment