I finally have a few minutes to sit and update, we're staying with a great family in Tel Aviv before we fly to Cairo today. The past few days have held many special firsts for me. I say firsts because I absolutely need to come back here. I think my dad will recall me saying that about Germany too when we were there 8 or so years ago... so it might be awhile... but I really feel I'll be back here. It's no doubt been a trip full of laughter: laughing at ourselves trying to find random hostels to stay in overnight, bartering with the Palestinians over nativity sets, eating only pitas filled with fulaful or jelly donuts day after day, finding ourselves in a 3 car pile-up in small-town Israel, jumping into random vans with we hear "Tel Aviv!" being shouted, eating the most bitter of olives from an olive tree, running through narrow, knee-deep tunnels of water, seeing huge concealed weapons being carried around, pretending to understand Arabic in the traffic of Nazareth; it's all been very comical ;)
But it's certainly been a city full of breathtaking moments as well. Christmas Eve I got to put a prayer in the Western Wall. I went to the third most sacred place in the Muslim world, stood on the very stone exiting the ancient temple built 2000 years ago where Christ would have exited the Temple. I've seen the sun break through the clouds on the Sea of Galilee and looked out at the city from the Mount of Olives, thinking about the future of this place. I've been into cathedrals filled with gold and jewels and fantastic paintings and beauty, but never found more peace than at the quiet, peaceful Garden Tomb where the words are inscribed on the door, "He is not here, He is risen." Yesterday I was able to take the sacrament while looking out over the city through the large, beautiful windows of the BYU Jerusalem Center. We walked through Gethsemene and the Orson Hyde Memorial where a missionary came and dedicated that city to be 1) a gathering place for the descendants of Judah 2)Be a land of milk and honey, and 3) Have the temple rebuilt.
It's funny, as we left Jerusalem last night I was thinking how at first glance, this city looks so dry, so dirty and sober and cold. But because of what we know about it and who lives/lived there and the rich culture it still has, because of that it is one of the most awe-inspiring sights to see-- the Dome of the Rock, the walls of the Old City, the Kidron valley, the thousands of tombs, the foliage- it all tells a story still, in 2008 that continues and will continue until that great day when Christ comes again.
It's hard to imagine how all the things that need to happen and are spoken of in the scriptures will happen, but I just know it will. It'll crazy, man. Every knee bowing and every tongue confessing; it's unfathomable to me now. We watched hundreds and hundreds of Orthodox Jews make their way to the Western Wall to prepare for Shabbat on Friday night. It was SOO cool. I think they are amazing- holding onto those traditions with such exactness and seeing them all, even the littlest kids, wearing their ritual clothing every day and celebrating Hanukah with such reverence. It's incredible to see how those traditions have been passed down. Gosh. Everyone needs to take this trip :)
I've been thinking about this concept while i've been here and seen all the conflict and hate in this place- praying for peace in Israel is a very real need- there is so much conflict. It has made me feel really blessed to have grown up without feeling hostility toward any group of people. I don't feel tension toward those of other nationalities or religions, races, or families and honestly, i think that that is more and more rare as I read the scriptures and see the way people interact with each other outside my little world. I took for granted how amazing it is that my family has no tradition of hostility. I'll never be breeding hatred "just because that's how things are." I don't know that you can really blame them, this is something that goes so far back, so deep, but all the same, it would be difficult living with that tension always directed to "such-and-such" and feeling a need for revenge or justifying hostility. It really is a blessing that instead we think it's so fascinating to learn about other religions and dive into other cultures, respect different beliefs and embrace the people who are there. So i've certainly had my eyes opened in a city held sacred by 3 completely different kinds of people. Amazing.
So here's my pitch for Israel: Any of you who are still in school at BYU, find a way to get to the Jerusalem Center, pronto. BYU students change the whole feel of this city, quite literally. And how freaking amazing to be able to live here for 4 months!! Everyone else who isn't as fortunate (me included), get over here if you can. Not even so much to "believe" but just to learn. To experience the feeling of it all. And don't be scared ;)
I tell you what, it's been nuts trying to do much of this on our own but completely worth it. a few more days in Egypt and then we're on our way home.
Till then-
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Mikale,
Whoa. How COOL. I am very jealous of your travels and hope that someday I can see some of the same sights you have seen. I love that you are "taking it all in" and really understanding that place for what it's worth. I got the chills when you said that "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ" It seems so far away, doesn't it? But it probably isn't...wowzers. Well, I hope you'll post some pics. Sounds like an amazing trip.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing.