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
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