The Ramparts

Last night around 11 pm, a couple of us stupid college kids thought we needed something to do, so we decided to do the rampart walk  - the walk that goes around the Old City on top of the walls. I actually had just done it a couple days before – but at that time, it was day and the walk was actually open. This time, neither of those were true. So, we set off from JUC and walked through the Old City to reach our entry point. The shops were all closed up – gates shut and merchandise locked away. There were almost no lights coming from the windows and only a few young people and sketchy-looking guys were out on the streets. The cats, however, were abundant. And so creepy. (I have definitely grown in my loathing of cats since being here haha). Our group of seven Americans walking quickly down the narrow streets clearly did not belong – but no one questioned what we were up to. Once we found the place we wanted to get up on the ramparts, we looked for a camera and listened for guards, and then climbed over the wall/railing. I’m making it sounds cooler than it was – but hey, this is more fun for your imagination, right? :)

It was so interesting to walk the ramparts at night. Besides the random city sounds, it was a very quiet evening. I thought that the craziest part was how the Dome of the Rock was absolutely glowing. Nothing else seemed to stand out in excess of the streetlights or occasional house lights. The Dome of the Rock, however, was luminous, and I noticed it much more at night than during the day. It has such a commanding presence in the Old City, and it definitely gave me a lot to think about with regards to Islam and Judaism and Christianity. I also couldn’t help but think of the individuals who currently live in the city and those who have lived there in the past. It has been the center of so many conflicts – people have hated each other for their beliefs in this place for thousands of years. And as I surveyed the darkness, I could see the Muslim homes – the Jewish homes – the Orthodox churches – the many holy places, and I was overwhelmed. How could next to none of these people know Jesus?

I have been faced with many questions since being here. The Jews as God’s chosen people, the reality of hell, God’s overall plan and how it’s being carried out here and now….so many things to think about. Although I have many questions, I have also come to a new awareness and gratefulness for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of course I have always been so thankful for Him and His sacrifice, but being here and learning more about history and cultures has made me realize even more how His life is the central point in history. He truly is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. No one can come to the Father but through Him. Amazing.

So, as it turns out, this night adventure was more than just a cool experience. It was a great time of reflection and awareness. I have a lot more to think through – and if anyone has any wisdom to share with me, it would be greatly appreciated.

I am just so very thankful for Jesus – that He came to earth, died, and rose again – and that He has chosen to love me.

Purpose.

Sometimes – well actually a lot of times - I get distracted and burdened by pretty insignificant struggles. A very wise woman (you might know her – I like to call her ‘mom’) told me a few days ago that I should try to define my reason for being here in Jerusalem and then intentionally think of that reason each day as a way to rid myself of my preoccupations. On our last field study, we were viewing the city from a hill right next to the Mount of Olives, and Dr. Wright gave some great insight into Psalm 48. As he did this, I realized that it accurately describes my purpose in studying here. The end of the Psalm says…

We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!

Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

I want to dwell on the steadfast love of the Lord. Learn from Him. Rejoice on Mount Zion. Praise Him for His greatness. But those are not my only goals while here. I also desire to use this time that I have been blessed with to help others see the wondrous nature of our God. This command in the psalm to walk about Zion, observing the towers, ramparts, and citadels, can only be carried out in Jerusalem. I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to be here. So as I walk about Zion (I actually live on Mount Zion, and I will be doing a ‘rampart walk’ around the old city this coming week) I want to take in as much as possible not just for my sake but also for whatever God has planned for the rest of my life. 

I feel like I have learned so much already – about the Bible, the land, the people. I can’t wait to learn more. Our God is truly amazing.

It is awesome here. I wish you all could come live here with me :) 

City of David

            This past Sunday, we did a Jerusalem Walk field study. As you’ve probably inferred from the name, we walked around Jerusalem from 7 am to 6 pm. And contrary to the cloudy/rainy/cold weather we have been having, the day was sunny with clear skies – so great. We saw so many amazing things in one day. Too much to even take in. My favorite stop of the day was probably on a rooftop in the City of David. This is the place where David chose to settle, and it actually is not included within Jerusalem’s old city walls. The City of David is on the Eastern Hill, right between the Central Valley and the Kidron Valley. Everywhere we looked, we could see a hill/mountain that was higher than the rooftop we were on. Dr. Wright made the analogy of Jerusalem being in the middle of a bowl or a nest, with the protection of mountains on all sides. He then read a few Psalms written by David and explained their significance in relation to the geographical place where we were.

Psalm 121:1-8 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; he will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”

This Psalm was written in a time of uncertainty – a time when the author was in need of rescuing. The Psalmist uses ‘LORD’ which is the personal name for God – unlike the general name ‘god’ which could be used for any kind of deity. Calling the LORD the “shade on your right hand” is also very significant in this place. Because Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, it does not receive the kind of cooling breeze that would be desired on a hot day. The only way to find relief would be to stay hidden under the shade – in this case the Psalmist is calling out for relief and finds it in the LORD. This Psalm was obviously written by someone who knew the city and who had felt both the protection as well as the hardships of the location. Standing on this rooftop, lifting my eyes up to the very same hills that are talked about in the Psalm, and seeing a visual example of the protection of the God who created this very place was amazing. I can’t quite explain it.

One more Psalm. Sorry if this is long.

Psalm 125:1-2 “Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forth and forever.”

I have read this Psalm many times, but when I was standing on what was called Mount Zion in David’s time and looking around to the mountains that surround Jerusalem, it became much more tangible and significant. The Psalmist assumes that all who would read his psalm would automatically know how the mountains surround Jerusalem, but obviously, his song has gone much farther than he ever knew it would. The mountains surround Jerusalem by being on every side, being higher than the city, as well as totally encompassing the city. This is how God surrounds us. His protection is complete. There is no place that is left unsheltered. Awesome.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. 

Bethlehem.

Sorry I haven’t updated in so long – but now I’ll give you an overload of information. Read if you want :)

This past Saturday, I had the chance to visit Bethlehem for the first time. Bethlehem, as many of you know, is located in the West Bank. After riding on a bus for about 15 or 20 minutes, we stopped at the checkpoint located along the Wall. Before coming to Israel, I was barely even aware that this wall existed. But it definitely does. The concrete wall is about 20 feet high and has barbed wire on the top. It was fairly simple for us to get through the checkpoint because we have U.S. passports. On the other side of the wall, the town looked completely different. Bethlehem was not the quaint and quiet village that I had imagined in my mind. It was packed with people and had much more garbage and run down buildings than most places in Jerusalem. As we walked to the place that one of my roommates had done an internship, I was able to ask her about things I should know but obviously did not. She informed me that the wall was built around the West Bank in 2002 or 2003 (not sure about those dates) and includes almost only Palestinians, who are Muslim, inside. The barrier was built by the Israeli government because of the many terrorist attacks (basically bombs on city busses) that were happening at that time. Since they built the wall, the attacks have declined significantly. So, it may seem like the “problem” has been solved and that the wall is a great idea. In some ways this is true, but only from an Israeli/Jewish perspective. From the Palestinian perspective, the Israeli government is taking over the land that should belong to them. They are restricted where they can live and travel, and they have to be searched (as in go through security like an airport) whenever they want to leave the West Bank. Since I know so little about the whole situation, I don’t feel like I can have an opinion on it yet. In one of my classes, my professor was talking about the complexity of the history of this land – and it’s incredible. So many people have occupied it. So many groups claim that it should be theirs. God chose it for a specific reason. I just have no idea what to think. Good thing I am here to learn!

            Anyways, I loved walking down the streets of Bethlehem. Besides the Church of the Nativity, it did not feel “touristy” in any way. It was also really cool to visit the House of Hope, where my roommate volunteers. It is a home for handicapped children, and so we got to play with the kids for quite a while. I am planning on doing a volunteer ministry at a school in Bethlehem, so I’ll get to go back there pretty much every week!