July 24 - 05

Hey Folks,
Have I ever had a day! I started out by going to church in the Lutheran Church, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Sri and I walked through the Damascus Gate (one of seven gates going into the Old City). I cannot even begin to describe what the Old City is like. A labrynth, to be sure; stalls and stores everywhere. People buzzing all around, speaking words that sound more to me like music than anything, because I cannot understand anything, yet. There are four quarters: the Christian quarter, the Jewish quarter, the Muslim quarter and the Armenian quarter.
Church was held in the Nave of a huge Cathedral. It was Lutheran, but in English. The music was much livlier than I was expecting. Nice choice of songs. There was a dude on piano, and a set of brothers managing the guitar and hand-drum. The acoustics were amazing. The thirty of so congregants, nearly all ex-pats (internationals), sounded like a choir of hundreds. Apparently, the nave was an old Crusader's chapel. I have rather mixed feelings about that. The special music was sung by a sweet-voiced blackman, who sang "the answer my friend is blowing in the wind...." I couldn't help but smile to myself; damn hippie music, even in church in Jerusalem! I took communion and drank from the common cup, remembering the words of my friend Ken from orientation that the alcohol in the wine will kill all the germs in potential backwash. Thanks, Ken; you did me a great service with that tidbit!
After church, Sri went home and I met Tim and Chris, a married couple who live in Bethlehem, where I now am. We hooked up with three of their friends (from World Vision) and took the marathon walking tour of Jerusalem's Old City. We walked parts of the Via DolaRosa (pardon the butchering of the spelling), which is the path that Jesus was driven down as He carried the cross. We spent time in the HOly Sepulchre, which is the most commonly agreed place upon where He was crucified and buried. It is undisputedly the most holy site in all of Christendom! It was overwhelming and awe-inspiring to say the least. I am not particularly swept up in the religiosity of it all, but I knew full-well that I was on holy ground. There are thirteen major Christian bodies continuingly jostling for control of the various wings and parts of this huge cathedral (?) and representatives are on "guard" at all time, so their claim stakes don't get taken over. There is a muslim family that actually holds the keys, because it would cause way too much trouble to decide which Christian body gets control. If you think that's crazy, that is only the frost on the tip of the iceberg that is the insanity of the Holy LAnd.
As we were walking, the World Vision people had some friends notice us and bring us into their home. They are Palestinian Christians (2% of Palestinian population). They are Coptic, which is the Egyptian Orthodox. We had Arabic coffee, which kicks the crap out of espresso. They served us juice, fruit and bread with cheese and I watched as my hosts struggled to get out of the invite for food. Hospitality! They sent us away with a care package of food.
We stopped at the one World Vision girl's apartment, in the Old City, and hung out on the roof, looking around for a bit. We continued on, where I ate felafel (for the care package was meat products) from a fabulous little place. We passed the Wailing Wall, which is the most holy place for all of Judaism. I was speechless; not swept up in the sentiment, but just taking in all around me. We walked to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and I touched the rock where He was said to actually have prayed at. This rock is in a bascilica (?) which is called Church of All Nations. The olive trees growing in the garden are easily 2000 years old. That was really cool. We all sat, very quietly, with out thoughts and our reflections, inside the church for several minutes before moving on again. I was actually moved to tears, which surprised me. I saw Mary's tomb (Jesus' momma), too, on the way back to the cars.
Once we got back to the cars, we had to go to a Westbank neighbourhood to pick up Chris' (from MCC) cellphone, which she left at a house she and her husband were helping to rebuild. This neighbourhood is part of Area B (which is too confusing for me to quickly explain, although I will say there are three areas: A, B, and C). Area A is forbidden to Jews, Area C is forbidden to Arabs, and Area B is confusing to me. I think it is under Israeli military control but Palestinian administration. If I am wrong, then don't hold me to it. There is so much to learn here. I feel totally overwhelmed!
So, in this area B, I saw houses which had been destroyed. I saw the looks of mistrust and pain in the faces of Palestinians as we drove by. One young kid even opened up my car door, which startled me, and his buddy threw a little pebble at my window. I think I look a lot like a Jewish Settler, with my red beard. At least I keep being told that. I was not angry about the youngster's behavior. If I was living in a place where a foreign occupier was continually oppressing me and demolishing either my house or those of my friends', I would have a really hard time dealing with it.
I passed through several military checkpoints today, with my passport being looked at by armed soldiers. When Chris and Tim and I drove out to their apartment in Bethlehem, we actually drove through the wall to get here. This separation wall is much more upsetting in real life than the theoretics in which I imagined it before seeing it. It is so degrading to lock people up. Palestinians with green license plates are not even allowed on Israeli roads. Christians who live in Bethlehem are not allowed to go into Jerusalem to worship. It is worse than apartheid here. I am totally filled-over-the-brim with just how much turmoil is here. Chris and Tim are very supportive and encouraging, explaining much to me. They drove me past the Church of the Nativity, which is where Jesus was born. I ate dinner at the Tent Restaurant, just outside of Bethlehem, where the Shepherds were visited by angels announcing the birth of Messiah. It is so much; seemingly too much right now. I am not freaking out; just taking it all in and not being afraid of asking questions, even if my voice cracks with emotion at how much suffering and turmoil there is. There is such a disparagement between what the West thinks about Israel as the holy land and the horrid political situation here. I do'nt even know the tip of it, I realise.
I should go. I am sorry for not taking time these latest days to really explain, I just seem to be hurredly jotting thoughts out. When I get settled into my own place and feel like people aren't waiting on me, I will relax more and be able to sit and spend a longer time accurately weighing my thoughts and reflections. Right now, it is overwhelming. I am NOT caught up in the religiosity and the sentimenalism; I am overwhelmed by the steamrolling of human rights and the oppression that exists all around me. I feel like I know nothing and have never known anything about anything. All my years in the film industry make me feel like a fool, like I have been living in a cheesy dreamland, that is totally unrealistic and out of touch with the real suffering that is so vivid here.
DOn't cry for me, Canada; I will learn, I will grow; I will seek my Strength and my Shield, and the Lord is my Shepherd. And, for those of you who want pics, I hate to disappoint you but I don't even own a camera, let alone taking photos. Cameras and me don't really get along. If you want to see stuff, then go to google "images" and type stuff in. Other folk get 'er done better than I would.
Peace in the MIddle Eass??? Pray it is so!
D Block OUT