Easter Eve & Easter Morning in Jerusalem

                                                          Easter Eve Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Early on the first day of the week, 

while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb 

and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

John 20:1 NRSVue

I'm going to offer a couple more reflections from our recent trip to Israel to round out a week of blogs about what we experienced. I realize that we packed so much into the 16 days we were there that seven entries are really not enough, but I don't want to try your patience. 

We arrived on the morning of the Saturday of Holy Week and immediately drove to Jerusalm with Ruth's sister and brother-in-law who have access to an apartment there. After a nap we hit the streets of the old city, culminating in a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

As the name suggests, this is the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and entombment, dating back to the 4th century. It is a strange and labyrinthan structure and there is a long, sorry history of squabbles between different Christian groups over territory within the church. It is so contentious that the 500-year-old key to the entrance has been entrusted to a Muslim family for generations. I've never liked going there. 

Just the same, I was aware that Easter Eve is a special time at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, so in we went. We heard beautiful singing and found our way to monks and priests chanting the office to usher in the celebration of Easter. We couldn't understand the words except for the alleluias which are not used during the season of Lent. My sister-in-law told us that she had never heard singing there during a number of visits through the years and that the experience was moving. We felt the same way.

                                                      Garden Tomb worship, Easter morning

The next morning we lined up with hundreds of others for the 9:30 AM service at The Garden Tomb, an oasis of green and relative quiet which has existed as a Christian religious site since the late 1800's. It is described as "a possible location for the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus" and there is an ancient tomb, cut into the rock which can be entered.  While it may be a possible location, it isn't probable, but it is a spot which is appealing because of its beauty and tranquility. 

The service was broadcast around the world and the speaker from Britain, an evangelical Anglican priest named Nicky Gumbel, was very good. The music was of the contemporary praise variety and the excellent band led us through uplifting singing. 

While both experiences were meaningful I have to admit that the unexpected moment in the contentious Church of the Holy Sepulchre was more powerful for me than what happened at The Garden Tomb. Actually, in the outdoor service I was keenly aware of the bees, the butterflies and the birds all around us, an affirmation that the Creator's redeeming love is for all of Creation: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

I'm grateful that I didn't have to chose between the two experiences.

 I should note that today is our 47th wedding anniversary and Ruth has been a calm, curious, and brave travelling companion through countless adventures. How fortunate I am. 

                                                                           The Garden Tomb

Timna, Solomon's Mines, & the Tabernacle

Ruth at Solomon's Pillars, Timna, Negev Desert, Israel

 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.  Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.  When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.  When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them, at the entrance of their tent.

Exodus 33:7-10 NRSVue

 Part of the enticement by Ruth's sister to visit Israel a fourth time was her assurance that we could do things there we'd never done before. Anne and her husband Herbby (yup, two B's) have lived in Israel for decades and have hiked and explored in many locations off the beaten path of tour groups. Happily, they delivered.

We spent a few days in a region seldom visited by the tour buses, the Negev desert, as well as the resort town of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba, an extension of the Red Sea. One early evening we snorkelled at a coral reef with an astonishing variety of brightly coloured fish. As we picnicked on the shore afterward we were aware of being just a few hundred metres from the border with Egypt. Across the water was the Jordanian city of Aqaba and a little to the south, a town in Saudi Arabia.

We did a couple of early morning hikes in the desert to attempt to beat the daytime heat of 37 degrees. We snooped around in Timna National Park for hours and it was a highlight of our trip, even though we had to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The extensive park has the feel of the American Southwest with ridges and formations of various shapes and hues. This is the site of what may be the oldest copper mines in human history, going back several millenia before the time of Christ, and mining continues not far away. 

There has long been speculation that this was the site of the fabled King Solomon's Mines and while this was discredited for a time there is recent evidence that it could be the place. One of the astounding natural rock formations is called Solomon's Pillars, adjacent to an ancient copper mine with a shrine to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of mining.

                                                                              Tabernacle at Timna 

Timna could also have been on the route of the biblical Exodus out of Egypt. There are etchings we saw in a remote defile of Egyptian chariots from at least 3,000 years ago. Our brother-in-law oversees a reconstruction of the tabernacle which the people of Israel carried through the wilderness and which housed the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets with the Ten Commandments. Thousands of visitors tour this Tabernacle each year while visiting the park. It has been built to the dimensions described in the Hebrew scriptures. Happily, one variance from the original is that this one is air-conditioned. 

The fact that we knew nothing about Timna before visiting made for one of the best memories of our trip, although the temperature was not. We loved the silence and being there virtually on our own at that early hour. Our sense of the exodus journey of many years became much more vivid and the beauty was captivating. 

Israel's Water Sources, Past and Present

 

                                                             Ruth in Hezekiah's Tunnel, Jerusalem 

The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah, all his power, how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? 

                           2 Kings 20:20 NRSVue

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 

                John 21: 1 NRSVue 

1 Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,

things I would ask him to tell me if he were here:

scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,

stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

3 Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea

tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee!

And how the Master, ready and kind,

chided the billows and hushed the wind.

Before we spent two weeks in Israel Ruth followed my encouragement to read James Michener's epic 60's novel, The Source. It is about the source of water for a series of civilizations at one site which is being explored by archeologists. Michener takes what could be an earnest but boring technical description and creates a vivid narrative about the people of each age.

Ruth was delighted that we could explore three different water sources at different locations, including Tel Megiddo, which I've mentioned was Michener's inspiration. The one which was most challenging but also most fun for her is what is known as Hezekiah's Tunnel in Jerusalem. This tunnel was probably created in the 8th or 9th century BCE by two groups of workers chiseling through the limestone to meet each other far beneath the city. This allowed precious water from the Gihon Spring to be accessed within the city walls, protected from enemies. When I first visited Jerusalem 35 years ago our guide suggested that it might not be wise to attempt to traverse the 533-metre tunnel because of my height -- good advice. On this trip Ruth made her way through the sometimes calf-high water with her sister while I followed an adjacent tunnel with plenty of head room to meet them at the other end. 

                                                                   Megiddo Water System 

Water sources are still vitally important in Israel, a modern nation with nearly ten million inhabitants. The "sea" of Galilee is actually the lowest fresh water lake on the planet and is about the size of Lake Simcoe in Ontario. It is still a principle supply of water which is piped throughout the country, even though desalination provides an increasing amount of water. Israel has a high-tech agricultural sector which employs precise watering systems -- no random spraying of crops. Every home uses direct watering for outdoor plants as well and conservation is encouraged. 

This still isn't enough. The level of Galilee/Kinneret/Tiberias (a lot of different names!)  has been dropping dangerously low in recent years because of drought and diversion. A pipeline is being built to transport desalinated water from the Mediterranean Sea to the lake of Galilee to replenish it, the first such project anywhere. I have to wonder how this will affect the already stressed ecosystems of this legendary body of water. And the desalination plants are powered by fossil fuels which contribute to the climate change which is contributing to drought. 

I should note that Israel and adjacent Jordan squabble over water use from both Galilee and the Jordan River which flows southward toward the Dead Sea. Also, that the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza are designated very little water, leaving much of these occupied regions in a state of severe water stress.

Jesus described himself as Living Water, the source of spiritual life. The longest encounter between Jesus and any person in the gospels is with the Samaritan women at a well. After the resurrection he appeared to the disciples as they fished on Tiberias where he had first called them. 

Water is life, wherever we are. 

Oh yes, we experience three thunderstorms in four days while we were there, which our family members suggested was unprecedented in April. We Canadians are a helpful bunch. 

On the Hunt for Loaves and Fishes

 

                                                              Horvat Susita Golan Heights

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5: 14-16 NRSVue

 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”  And [Jesus] said, "Bring them to me" Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14: 17-21 NRSVue 

In an earlier time of life I took three groups of people to Israel and then simply ran out of steam for involvement in these sorts of excursions. Twenty-eight years later Ruth and I returned after years of coaxing by her sister who has lived there for more than three decades. She lured us with the promise of a trip designed to meet our interests and she certainly delivered during our recent visit. 

We did return to a number of places because they were meaningful in the past and we knew that some archeological sites had been explored much more extensively since we were last there. We also visited places which were new to us, including national parks and nature reserves. 

                                                                       Five Loaves mosaic

While in the Galilee we searched out an archeological park called Horvat Susita which has been excavated over the past twenty years but only opened to the public a month ago. For a couple of days we rented an Airbnb on the west side of the Sea of Galilee along with a car for snooping about. So, we circled around the north of the iconic lake to the Golan Heights and climbed a switchback road to get the astonishing view from the east at Horvat Susita. There are the ruins of no less than seven churches on the site and one has a mosaic showing a basket of loaves and fish, leading some scholars to speculate that this could be close to the place where Jesus fed the crowd by miraculously multiplying the meagre fare of a child rather than traditional bgha at the north of Galilee/Kinneret. 

It has also been suggested that when Jesus encouraged his followers to be the light of the world like a city built on a hill he was drawing on Horvat Susita as his inspiration. We won't ever know, at least not in this realm, but it's fun to speculate. One of the wonderful aspects of visiting Israel is that scripture comes to life, often in unexpected ways. 

The Swifts & the Prayers of the Temple Mount

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!

 My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

 Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
 Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.

            Psalm 84:1-4 NRSV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, 

there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

                           Galatians 3:28 NRSV

There were members of our family and likely friends who wondered about our sanity when we decided that our plans to go to Israel would go ahead despite increasing unrest and tensions surrounding the intersection of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter this year. We took a calculated risk, listening attentively to Ruth's sister who lives in Israel, and following events closely. 

We were in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that evening, and then worshipped at the Garden Tomb on Easter morning. The city was bustling with Christian pilgrims and Jews who were in the midst of Pesach. 

We ventured to the Western Wall at the base of the Temple Mount, knowing that part of the tension was the heavy-handed action of the Israeli military forcing Muslims out of the Al Aksa mosque at night even though they were peaceably worshipping. There were soldiers at every entrance to the Old City and we went through security to gain access to the plaza at the Wall which is directly below the mosque and the Golden Dome. 

                                                                     Western Wall, Passover 2023

This might sound like a recipe for serious trouble and even danger but there was almost a festive atmosphere near the Wall with Jewish families and hundreds of children everywhere. These were mostly Orthodox and ultra- Orthodox Jews whose men wear various forms of black clothing, about 20 different "flavours" of dress, black because they still mourn the destruction of the temple. 

Jewish men and women are strictly separated for prayer at the base of the Wall, with a substantial screen between them. There have been protests and plenty of controversy about this separation.

My brother-in-law and I donned kippahs and went to one of the massive limestone blocks from 2,000 years ago which formed the retaining wall for the Temple platform. I suppose I was offering a seditious silent prayer, recalling the liberating words of the Jewish rabbi, the apostle Paul, who was convinced that the Jesus, born a Jew, sets us free from gender distinctions. 

You may be aware that visitors to the Wall often push prayer requests written on paper into the cracks between the blocks. I was enchanted by the cloud of swifts (like large swallows) which were swooping about not far above us, back and forth along the length of these stones. They nest in the higher crevasses, well away from humans and their squabbles. For me they were prayers in flight, an avian reflection of the presence of the Holy Spirit. We were back on the plaza the next day but there weren't nearly the number of birds -- this had been a gift of the moment. 

Postcards from Armageddon

 

                                                                        Tel Har Megiddo, Israel 

My blog entries may seem incoherent at the best of times, so who knows how today's attempt will go. Yesterday we made the marathon journey home from Israel, including the 12-hour direct flight, and flopped into bed at 3:30 AM Tel Aviv time. I decide that going to the gym, first thing, might aid in resetting my jetlag but now I'm not so sure. 

This was a remarkable experience in Israel, and we travelled quite literally from one end of the country to the other and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee with a careful soak in the Dead Sea and snorkelling in the Red Sea to boot. This was my fourth trip to Israel but first in nearly thirty years. It was tailored to our interests thanks to Ruth's sister and brother-in-law who have lived there most of their adult lives and were our gracious hosts.  

Family and friends were dubious about our choice to visit for a number of reasons, as were we. After we booked the current right-wing coaliton government came to power and its policies are disturbing, Somehow we arrived there after major protests abated, after missile strikes from Lebanon stopped, and other violence largely calmed down. 

Of course, Iran did threaten to wipe Haifa and Tel Aviv, two cities we visited, off the face of the Earth while we were there,  at the slightest provocation -- whatever that means. Israel lives in a constant state of wariness and readiness, yet daily life bustles along. While our hosts took us from one end of the country to the other we made train forays to Haifa and Tel Aviv on our own. We were often sitting in the midst of soldiers, teenagers chatting it up the way teens do in North America except that they were in uniform and sometimes carrying automatic weapons. 

One of the many interesting stops was at Har Megiddo, a great mound or tel, an archeological layer cake of civilizations which have occupied the site -- at least 30. This was a strategic place on trade routes from Egypt to Mesopotamia and eastward and the nearby plains were the place of great battles through the millennia, including during the ill-fated Crusades. That name, Har Megiddo, became our anglicized Armaggedon, where the last battle between good and evil will take place. Megiddo was the inspiration for James Michener's epic 60's novel, The Source.

There is a strong sense that Israel is still "ground zero" or a focal point for world events despite the fact that the length of the country is about the same distance as from Toronto to Montreal. In the days ahead I'll share some of our excursions, experiences, and insights. Please stay tuned!

Look at the Migratory Birds of Israel

  

                               Cranes in flight, Israel 

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?

Matthew 6: 25-27 NRSVue 

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 ask the plants of the earth,[a] and they will teach you,
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of every human being.

Job 12:7-10 NRSVue

Jesus encouraged us to pay attention to birds and so did the writer of the Hebrew scripture book of Job. We take that seriously at our home with a number of feeders which reward us with daily sightings of these remarkable creatures. While rambling about as Spring unfolds in Southern Ontario we've seen bald eagles, a blue heron, ospreys, and wood ducks -- all encouraging signs of the change of seasons. 

We are in Israel at the moment and it is Spring here as well. This means lots of migratory birds because this region is the meeting place of three continents, Africa, Asia, and Europe, making this one of the most important flyways on Earth.  It's estimated that as many as half a billion birds make their way northward at this time of year, although their is evidence that numbers are dropping alarmingly. 

We really should pay attention to the birds because they are all the "canary in the coalmine", signalling a catastophic change in climate and habitat. As serious as this threat is, rather than worry, or ignore what is unfolding, we can act with purpose for the wellbeing of Creation. 

Easter Morning in Jerusalem

 

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem 

Christ is Risen! Happy Easter!

I'm trusting that Air Canada got us to Israel, that Ruth's sister and brother-in-law transported us to Jerusalem yesterday, and that this morning we've worshipped at what's called the Garden Tomb. There are often several "X marks the spot" locations for biblical events and the Resurrection of Jesus is no exception. The majority of historians doubt that this ancient tomb is the actual site of the events of Easter morning but this is a quiet and beautiful enclave in the midst of a busy city. 

I've been here before, although never on Easter morning given my day job for several decades, and I am simply grateful to be in Jerusalem on this the holiest day of the Christian faith (with deference to our Orthodox brothers and sisters who will celebrate Easter next Sunday. 

 Wherever you are this morning, I hope that you have a sense of Christ's presence and experience joy. Here is a good description of this place from the Garden Tomb website: 

For over 120 years, the Garden Tomb has shared the story of the Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection with countless visitors from across the globe. Some believe that this garden is the setting of those gospel events.

However, the question as to whether this is the same tomb in which the Messiah was buried is ultimately unimportant. What is important is that visitors to this garden have an encounter with the living Messiah today. This is our prayer and ministry.

Easter Eve & the Holy Hibachi

 

Easter Eve, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

This evening we're in Jerusalem and not far from where we're staying lots of Christians of many backgrounds are crowded into the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchure, perhaps the site of Jesus' burial and resurrection. Several different denominations squabble over the right to be there and fisticuffs have ensued along the way, which is totally disheartening.

Tonight's Easter Vigil intrigues me nonetheless, even though it doesn't make sense to be there given the unsettled state of the city these days. On Easter Eve day a fire is kindled in the darkest recess of the church which is then sent out to countries across Europe. 

When we lived in Sudbury an multi-congregational Easter Vigil was part of our Holy Week for several years. It was always a service of mystery and power and, yes, we lit a fire out on the street which then provided the flame for the processional candle for our choir on Easter morning. We used what we termed the "holy hibachi" -- a bit irreverent, but accurate. Keeping that flame alive and making sure the church wasn't torched in the night was a challenge. 

Easter Eve is also a traditional time for baptisms and our son Isaac, now a United Church minister, was baptized during that service when he was eight years old. We wanted our three kids to remember their baptisms and they all were part of the decision-making process. I asked him about his memory of the experience and he shared a page from his journal at the time (he was a thoughtful lad, even then) He said that on his way to the baptismal font: "when I was walking up the stairs I thought I was flying." 

I hope there is a sense of the holy for all of us this Easter weekend. 

The Good Friday Road

 

1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,

tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

                                  Voices United 144

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25 NRSVue

This is so weird to not be in worship this Good Friday, although we all begrudgingly became accustomed to weird during the pandemic. So many "high and holy days" became online experiences or were cancelled altogether during those three years.

I'm not sure that I consider our trip to Israel as a pilgrimage given that there is nothing particularly arduous about it, other than a lengthy plane ride. I don't take the term pilgrimage lightly. Still, we do hope that this will be a time to reflect on our faith in Jesus, Crucified and Risen, in a unique way. 

I wish I knew where the bold and contemporary cross pictured above is situated and the name of the artist who created it. For me it is a powerful statement that the way of the cross is not always straightforward and that Jesus' own journey to Golgotha wasn't either. Good Friday is a day of deep gratitude for Christ's sacrificial love in the real world in which he lived and we live today. 

May the Christ who walks on wounded feet

walk with you on the road.

May the Christ who serves with wounded hands

stretch out your hands to serve.

May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart

open your hearts to love.

May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet,

and may everyone you meet

see the face of Christ in you.

I will offer a few more posts as our time away begins. Who knows, I may find a way to "blog on the go". If not, I'll be back! 

Kneel at the Feet of our Friends

Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,

show us how to serve

the neighbours we have from you.

1 Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet,

master who acts as a slave to them.  R

2 Neighbours are rich and poor, varied in colour and race,

neighbours are near and far away.  R

                                      Voices United 593

This is Maundy Thursday in Holy Week, with the "maundy" as a derivation of the Latin "maundatum", which means commandment. It's taken from the gospel writer John's telling of Jesus' last evening with his disciples. During their time together Jesus shares a meal with them -- what we often call  the Last Supper -- and he commands them to love one another. Jesus also performs an act of radical humilty and love when he washes their feet. This is turbo-charged service to others and an aspect of the love imperative. 

In preparation for our recent study group on Holy Week I turned to what I think of as a newer hymn even though it was written more than 50 years ago, and one which I really like for it's simplicity. I confess that I'd never noticed that the first verse has Jesus washing the feet of his friends while the fourth invites us to wash the feet of our friends. I just thought that the verse was repeated but the implication is that we will serve as Jesus served.Of course!

We can pray that our circle of friends will grow wider as we come to understand Christ's love more fully. 

3 These are the ones we should serve, these are the ones we should love,

all are neighbours to us and you.  R

4 Kneel at the feet of our friends, silently washing their feet,

this is the way we should live with you.  R

Passover and Memory

 

Today marks the beginning of Passover, one of the essential commemorations and celebrations of Judaism. This year the lunar-based festival begins during what Christians call Holy Week, and just before Maundy or Holy Thursday. This Christian service acknowledges what was likely a Passover/Pesach Seder for Jesus and his disciples, their last meal together. 

I noticed an interesting article about the development of a new guide for celebrating Passover for families caring for a loved one with dementia. There are many important details to the preparation and fulfillment of Passover, so this guide is a respectful act of inclusion, it seems to me. It makes me wonder what Christians could do to make our celebrations such as Christmas and Holy Week/Easter more "user friendly" for those with dementia and Alzheimer's. Here are a few paragraphs from the piece in The Times of Israel:  

Although Passover and the days leading up to it are filled with joy, they can also be anxiety-provoking — especially for those with dementia who do not have a clear grasp of time and space. The hubbub of intense cleaning, cooking, and other preparations cause a change in routine, which can be alarmingly confusing. People with dementia may also not be able to participate in the Passover seder as they once did.

“So we decided to make something very systematic. We collected all the questions that we received and wrote the guide taking into consideration halacha [Jewish law], medical knowledge, and humanity,” [Rabbi Yuval] Cherlow said.

The guide is divided into sections covering pre-holiday obligations and preparations, the seder night, and the weeklong holiday. Recommendations and suggestions are provided along with specific instructions about how the person with dementia can fulfill mitzvot (religious obligations).

Doesn't this make sense, given that Passover is a period of remembering? How meaningful to show respect to those whose memories may be failing. Happy Pesach to all  the Jews of the world. 

The Naked Truth about King David

 

                                                                   King David -- Marc Chagall

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you dont really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah -- Leonard Cohen 

Some of you are aware that on Easter Sunday, just a few days away, we will be worshipping in the City of Jerusalem. We're well aware that this year Ramadan, Passover, and Easter intersect on the calendar and, sadly, there have already been reports of tensions in the Old City.

Jerusalem is also known as the City of David because according to scripture he was the leader of Israel who captured what was really a fortified Jebusite town and established it as the capital. His reign as king became legendary even though his personal life was a train-wreck and its hard to know for sure what is true and what is truthy. 

David gained notoriety once again a couple of weeks ago in the most improbable way -- in the state of Florida, no less. A Christian school "resign or be fired" its principal after she showed an image of Michelangelo's world-renowned sculpture of David to a class of sixth-graders as part of an art appreciation class. Florida has gone nuts with a bunch of repressive laws banning books and restricting "pornographic" images which are subjectively in the eye of the beholder. In this case parents of 12-year-olds were outraged that they hadn't received a letter of warning that this piece of art would be shown to their delicate kids. 

Granted, I've seen the David in all its naked revelation and, yes, its all hanging out there. when Queen Victoria first encountered the cast of David at the Victoria and Albert Museum, she was apparently so shocked by his nudity that a proportionally accurate fig leaf was commissioned to cover the genitalia. The leaf was kept in readiness for any royal visits, when it was hung on the figure using two strategically placed hooks. 

King David did a lot of sketchy things in his lifetime and in 2 Samuel 6 his wife, Michal, is disgusted by his antics when he dances wildly and exposes himself "as any vulgar fellow." Read the passage and you'll discover he didn't give a fig leaf about her criticism.  Michelangelo's David is more an expression of the independence and strength of the city of Florence, as well as an ideal image of youthful strength and beauty. 

Since this bizarre incident the Galleria dell’Accademia and the mayor of Florence have reached out to both former principal Hope Carrasquilla and her pupils, inviting them to visit the city and the sculpture.   

The Unholiness of this Holy Week

 I'm aware every year of how secularized Holy Week and Easter have become and how "the long weekend" is the way many media outlets describe what begins with Good Friday and continues through Easter. When I got my hair cut last week I asked my barber if he would be closed on Good Friday, a statutory holiday in Canada, and he looked at me blankly. He will be open and is already fully booked. 

Of course, many Christian denominations don't really acknowledge this week of what is often termed Jesus' Passion. Nonetheless, plenty of conservative Christians in the States are ramping up the rhetoric of Jesus' wrongful arrest and trial because?...ya, you guessed it, the Abominable Saviour, Donald Trump will be charged with a crime tomorrow. 

I find this incredibly offensive, but I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised. This "brand" of Christianity appears to have become unmoored from Jesus' teaching and any expectation that leaders will be moral people who live by moral precepts of any kind, let alone Christian. And the message of sacrificial love, salvation, and resurrection promise have become hideously distorted. 

I saw over the weekend that Diana Butler Bass wrote about this, and as usual she is a voice of sanity in the midst of what have become a form of idolatry regarding Trump: 

I don’t know how far these comparisons will go. They are offensive, idolatrous, and an affront to millions of faithful believers who are preparing to observe the most sacred week of the Christian year.

But that won’t matter to Trump’s supporters. Social media and evangelical sermons will be awash with this theological and political conflation. We can fully expect that this unholy fusion of Trump and Christ will supercharge emotions during next week’s events in New York. One could wish that the crowd will turn its back on Trump, but I’m not counting on it.

It is hard enough for America to be facing the first-ever indictment of a former president. But knowing that this particular former president is viewed as the Anointed One, who, his followers believe, is like Jesus being persecuted by the legions of Satan, is a theo-political wild card we’ve got to pay attention to. At the time of his arrest, one of Jesus’ disciples attacked a soldier who came to take him away. Jesus insisted: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Do not expect the same from Trump.

This could be a very strange — and certainly historically significant — Holy Week.

Hosanna, Save, Please!

 Hosanna, heysanna, sanna, sanna

Hosanna, heysanna, hosanna
Hey J.C, J.C
Won't you smile at me?
Sanna, hosanna, hey superstar...

Hosanna from Jesus Christ Superstar -- Andrew Lloyd-Webber

Pope Francis emerged from his three-day hospital tune-up and quipped "I'm still alive!" How is that for a little Holy Week/Easter stand-up? The determined 86-year-old led a Palm/Passion Sunday service at the Vatican this morning, a remarkable personal statement on his part to the centrality of these eight days to the Christian drama. I am impressed. 

I imagine there were palm branches at the Vatican and I wonder if anyone shouted "Hosanna!"? During our recently concluded study of Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine we were reminded that the word Hosanna translates as "save, please", or "save, we pray". When I asked the group what we need to be saved from one wise elder offered, "myself, alot of the time." A thoughtful answer, and I would concur. There are just too many times when I'm self-absorbed or short-tempered and I do need to be delivered from myself. And as a species we desperately need to be saved from the "othering" we engage in which results in racial tensions and international conflict. "Save we pray" could be a phrase we speak when it comes to the steps we need to take to rescue the creatures of our planetary home. 

Is Jesus the Superstar who can lead us into a deeper consciousness which opens us to "save please" but with hope rather than despair. At the conclusion of this sombre week we enter our Easter promise, our Resurrection promise. Despite all the negative connotations of another phrase, "Jesus saves", thanks be to God.