Friday, March 12, 2010

Jerusalem


I mentioned this on FB a few weeks ago, but wanted to post this amazing panoramic shot from the Sea of Galilee. All the other shots are here.

So, we went to Jerusalem for a few days.

Now, that, in it's self, is a very, very cool thing.  Some folks get to road trip to Boise.  We get to road trip to the most hotly contested city on earth.  Bar none. (Which, BTW, was a pretty good candy bar when I was in Jr. High.  The Bar None... not Contested Cities.)  The only difference 'tween the two is that Boise doesn't come with the pleasure of that King Hussein/ Allenby border crossing and several hours of boredom interspersed with individualized interviews with the pleasant staff there.

While in town we got some quality time in the Old City and pulled in a few nice moments on Ben Yahuda street.  There's a crepe place down there that's a must on any given day.

While it took the Lord a bit longer to make the journey in sandal leather, we jetted north up the highway overlooking the Jordan River valley one morning with some family friends.  Let's be frank: The Sea of Galilee is not a Sea.  It's a good-sized lake.  But when you round the bend and see Capernaum and realize the Biblical significance of where you are... well, it's just pretty cool.

I'm sure there's probably a tour leaving soon from a church parking lot near you, and at the risk of sounding patronizing, get on the bus.  Jerusalem is the most amazing city in the world.  Not because of its nightlife or fashion or food.  It's the walls built by Suleiman circa 1538 or the Zion Gate pock marks from 1948.  It's the jolting transfer of culture in a passageway between the Arabic Souq and the Jewish Quarter.  It's the Via Dolorosa and its sundry pilgrims.

For time immortal, Jerusalem has been a shrine city.  Today, for a large part of the world's believers of three differing stripes, it still is.

1 comment:

Maya said...

Great post! Don't think I've ever told you this but you're a really fantastic writer, my friend.