After a week in the Holy Land I finally figured out how to change the language on Blogger, and thus begin a blog... okay, maybe I was just a little busy, but that's why I gave up after one try.
Anyway, the first week has been nothing short of mind-blowing. In my novice opinion, this place contains more history and conflict than anywhere else on earth, and rather than standing around and looking at it (like most tourists are doing), the locals just live their lives right on top of it. It doesn't mean much for Shu'baan, an Arab Christian shopkeeper that his shop is a 2-minute walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher--the site of Christ's death and burial tomb. Although there has been countless years of conflict between the Jews and Muslims, most of them seem quite capable of living what they consider to be 'normal' lives without being willing to further the conflict.
So far we have seen almost all of the Old City (but will continue to study it in more detail throughout the semester), climbed the Mount of Olives twice (once at sunrise to read the Sermon on the Mount), and just returned from Jericho (where we toured a few Orthodox monasteries and climbed the Mount of Temptations, where Our Lord was tempted in the wilderness by Satan). As much as we've seen, there's even more to come, and I couldn't be more excited!
More to come,
Jonathan
The Holy City at Sunrise
Father, I pray that you will use my experiences to bless the world you love.
...and now at sunset
The view from my window...
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