The Things of Peace are hidden

"The Things of peace are hidden," so says the scripture. As we wandered through and around Old Jerusalem, it was obvious that peace is not present. The Holy Land is a misnomer. It needs to be renamed, Conflict Land or Land of Hatred.

Jerusalem is the city which Jews, Christians and Muslims call Holy. We began at the Mount of Olives overlooking the centuries old wall of the city. The wall never encompassed the Mount of Olives, something for which the designers had their heads cut off for and then displayed at one of the city entrances. The Mount of Olives is 6 hills together.

Most striking are the Jewish cemeteries here on the hill. The people believe that if they are buried on the hill and the Messiah comes, they will be received first in heaven. Many US Jews are brought here to be buried in order to be first into heaven.

From the Mount we see all sites Holy. It is miraculous to see everybody in tight quarters! Yet, they are in quarters: The Christian quarter, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian. Separate and unequal.

We traveled the path of Palm Sunday. It was narrow and steep, very steep. Looking down into the Kidron valley we saw trash and lots of it. Strange in such a holy spot that garbage abounds. Kidron means dark, for the water that carries dark water with it in rain fall; dirty water. Kidron Valley is where children used to be sacrificed in the days of old.

It is said that Jesus rode the tiny donkey as a way of peace. Popular in those days were the rides on horses by Romans seeking power. Jesus did what was unpopular, a message of peace, lived out experientially.

We visited a jail, much like the one Jesus would have been lowered into by rope. It is carved into stone. Very dark. It is meant to be an isolation place; meant for mental torture. Reminds me of our government and our torture techniques.

Visiting the typical Garden that would have been like the Garden of Gethsemane was interesting. Gardens held oil presses, which were valuable... valuable enough to keep the garden locked. Jesus must have known the owner of the press in order to get the keys to the garden in order to pray. A very beautiful spot overlooking Old Jerusalem.

I have to sign off, I'm being called. Will have to finish this tomorrow. There's a line here.

Prayer: God of all peoples, stop our warring madness. Keep us from destroying ourselves. Lead us out of the temptation to muck up the identity of persons unlike ourselves by demanding that they change or worse yet, accept a subjugated role and place in life. Amen.