Built to Last- Herod had his issues but...

Say what you want about Herod the Great(and there are lots of bad things to say), the brother knew how to build things that would last. He was appointed King of Judea by the Romans around 40 BCE. We had an wonderful time visiting the three-level fortress that he built (between 37 and 31 BCE)that was 1300 ft above the shores of the Dead Sea (to the South and west of Jerusalem) to hide out in just in case folks came looking to kill him. He went over the top when he constructed it (bath houses,luxurious tapestries and riches,cisterns that held of 40,000 cubic meters!)




It still stands, even though he built it so long ago and it was attacked by legions of the Roman army in 70 AD who were trying to kill the 900 or so Zealots who after the fall of Jerusalem, had take up shelter in the fortress (more about that incredible story a little later.)


The view from the top is breathtaking: the mountains, the dry land and the Dead Sea. You can go to the top of the structure where you can see the original walls, cisterns, etc. You can take a cable car up to the top or you can walk up the snake path that the ancients had to take to get to the top! I, in a rare moment of wisdom, decided on the cable car, but Tres walked the whole thing. He's so cool.





Masada is a testimony to Herod, but also to the bravery and courage of the Jewish people. The Zealots held up against the Romans for three years. When it was clear that the Romans were going to take them, everyone in the community committed suicide except a handful of older women and children so that they could tell the story of the strength of their people.


CEASARIA- is another monument to Herod the builder who created this amazing port city on the Mediterranean coast- between Haifa and Tel Aviv.




He constructed it to give honor to his mentor, Caesar Augustus. It had one of those hippodromes where animals and men compete in wild races. There were theatres and amphitheatres and baths, etc. His engineers created some amazing water systems but unfortunately a lot of the harbor and city sunk after many years.







Like many structures in Israel, lot of rulers, the Crusaders, the Byzantines take over, destroy and rebuild on top of what is left. Ceasarea is mentioned several times in the book of Acts in New Testament. Sadly, many Jews who took part in the revolt were slaughtered here as well.


What remains today however, is quite beautiful- but the ruins and the modern restaurants, stores and parks are gorgeous.



They still have concerts in the ancient stadium. When we were visiting a young Jewish woman urged on by her group, stood and sang two beautiful songs in Hebrew. The acoustics were fabulous. I wanted to stay by the Mediterranean all evening and bask in the sun and the ruins but we couldn't. Tres said that we are having the "antipasto experience of Israel"- a little of this and a little of that. Just enough to whet the appetite. We keep turning to each other when we were in a place that we loved and said- let's put this on the list for when we return. Ceasarea is on the list. (Sorry had to upload someone else's pictures- my camera battery was dead by the time we got to Ceasaria, so we used my phone camera and you know by now what happened to my phone.)

Finding Peace in the Gardens

We have been running from one amazing place to another! It's way too much, happening way too quickly to blog everything!

We visited Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (which is in occupied territory-our first visit). The first church was built in 300 A.D. over what is believed to be the cave in which Jesus was born. Like many buildings here, the first church was destroyed by some group and rebuilt by another group and improved on by another group.




It is an ornate and active church, but having waited for almost an hour in a line with the masses of humanity,

it was a little anti-climatic when we finally arrived at the silver star marking the birth place and the small piece of cave where the holy family stayed.




However, we had started the morning in the Garden of the Tomb- where some believe Jesus was laid after the crucifixion.



It was a beautiful garden, and while there were lines of people to view the small tomb, the garden was magical and quiet even though there were groups of people singing and sitting among the trees. Our group sat and sung songs and took communion. There was a sweetness and serenity to it.

Talking about trees! The other garden that i loved, strangely enough, was the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before being captured and crucified. In this garden and the garden outside the Church of All Nations (or Basilica of Agony) there are wonderful olive trees. Some of the trees were 1500 years old! Can you imagine?





The trunks get wider as the trees get older, crack and holes develop and the canopy of leaves grow smaller. The trees are so powerful and insightful that they appear like real characters that have witnessed a lot of history.


We all gathered in the Garden of Gethsemame on Sunday morning- a minister from our group reflected on the moment that Jesus faced in the garden- realizing his destiny, laying down his fear and choosing to sacrifice his life to make life possible for others. He encouraged us to lay our fears and burdens down and to take up our purpose.





We prayed, sang songs and then walked across the way to the Church of All Nations where i sat in front of the piece of bedrock on which Jesus was said to pray before his arrest.

I was filled with gratitude and awe- like how hard it must be to give your life for others and would I ever have that much courage.

The church is on the Mt. of Olives which is in East Jerusalem outside the Old City. Way up high on the Mt.,you can see the city wall and the various Muslim domes. It is amazing to look down upon the Old City from there.







There is also a large beautiful grave yard on the Mount of Olives and the Kidron Valley is below. All the buildings in Jerusalem are required to be built using what they call Jerusalem stone- the white stone- so that everything looks uniform.




This part of the city is absolutely beautiful!

Take Me To the Water- The Jordan and the Dead Sea

The last two days have been amazing! Water has been a theme. Yesterday, I got baptized in the Jordan River, the river in which Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It was quite a solemn occasion for me. I vacillated quite a bit about whether I wanted to do it. I know there are lots of folks for whom getting baptized in the Jordan is their dream, but I had never felt the desire. I couldn’t help thinking about the sensationalized footage of Bobby Brown and Whitney getting baptized there!

When we first arrived, I was struck by the Disney-like scene. There was the baptism package of a white robe and towel that you can buy for a modest amount. There’s the enormous gift shop that was bustling at 9 am and the video booth where you can buy a video of your baptism. There were even people eating ice cream!

But then I saw groups of people from different countries, languages and denominations and those in my own group sincerely seeking a symbolic experience that would deepen their connection with Jesus. Ultimately, I made my decision to go ahead, because I didn't want to regret being so much in my head-hating and analyzing the commercialization of faith- that i missed an opportunity to claim the experience for myself. I realized that one can find the sacred in the middle of the inane. In fact, we do it all the time. As I was in line with others waiting quietly for Pastor Hammond to baptize me, I was thinking of how God has rewarded my willingness to try to live a life pleasing to him and when I came up from the water, I was so happy that I had decided to follow my spirit rather than my intellect. (Tres took pictures of my baptism on my telephone, but my phone fell in the toilet that day! So…..:-(. (Hopefully, I will get pictures from others in the group).





The DEAD SEA was like nothing I have ever seen. It is the lowest point on the earth. It borders Jordan on the east and Israel and the west bank on the west. The sea is more than 30 percent salt. Instead of sand at the bottom there is hardened salt (really sharp so not good on the feet). The salt content is so high that you go out in the water to your knees and you sit down. Then you float!!



Tres and I also had fun putting this special mud with minerals all over our bodies and then showering it off with salt water. Our skin really appreciated it.










To get to the Dead Sea, we drove south from Jerusalem and to the east through the desert. As we rode, we took in the gorgeous juxtaposition between the huge range of the arid Judean hills and the sea.









More about the last two days to come.

Sea of Galilee and following Jesus' Footsteps

I have always wanted to go to Israel- to see all the ancient sites, to see the place that Muslims, Christians and Jews call their own, to contemplate the life of Jesus within context, to see the beauty and to consider all the paradoxes (especially the relationship between peace and violence). Over the years, there have been so many trips sponsored by different groups that I couldn't take advantage of, so when i heard that a church i knew and respected was taking this trip- "In the Footsteps of Christ: Pilgrmage to the Holyland"- i signed up.




I am traveling with Bethel A.M.E.church from Boston and the wonderful Pastors Ray and Gloria Hammond. There are about 29 of us.




Most importantly, I am with my favorite travel companion- Tres, my son! We arrived last night and began touring today. My favorite part of the day was this morning. We took a ship on the Sea of Galilee early this morning. We prayed, we sang and i stared into the sea, thinking of what it was like 2000 years ago and again the peaceful effect that water has on me.






We also visited the mount where Jesus shared the beatitudes. I love the beatitudes and the paradoxes they present- to be poor is to be rich; to be meek means you will inherit the world, etc. You have to have a lot of faith to believe that the world is not what it appears- that our goals and the outcomes are so different than what seems
to be the rules of the road for in this world. My friend Liz talked this morning about how this was the speech that made people realize that Jesus was no joke and that he was speaking a new wisdom.




We also went to Nazareth where we saw the biggest church in Israel. It is amazing. Check out these pictures. The church, like others we saw are built over ruins. This Catholic church is in celebration of Mary and her son, so the church was built over the ruins of Mary's home.







You can see the ruins here and in Capernaum where they built the new church over the home of Peter the disciple.

The weather is perfect, sunny and around 70 degrees. The vegetation and flowers are beautiful and the food is fresh and so tasty.
I feel blessed and open to see what i will learn and experience over this week.

4 Days In Baltimore

Since i moved back to my hometown, Baltimore City, MD., on October 28th, i have spent 4 nights in my new condo located on the Inner Harbor! I absolutely love it! In fact, love it so much, surprisingly, i don't miss the wonderful house in Newton that i lived in for 11 years! I knew i had made the right choice when i was walking around the condo with my belongings scattered everywhere and all I could do was smile. I can see the sun rise from my bedroom! I took the picture below from my bed one morning!



The water on the Harbor is so calming and speaks of so many journeys, including my own. Baltimore has a huge working harbor, so i see small boats, large ships, water boats, water taxis, the famous Dominos Sugar sign and cruise ships.



I saw my mom, my dad, my sister and my nephew all in one day. I went to New Psalmist church the Sunday of my first weekend in Baltimore because i just needed to go somewhere and shout out loud my gratitude to God. I love my life!!

I haven't had time to miss my great Boston friends yet (especially since i was back in Boston working last weekend).

I was thinking that maybe i could keep a blog on my return home. It's a journey of sorts that i feel God has called me to. Then I realized that i had another home going and calling occurring-- my visit to the Holy Land, Israel. It is my first time in this sacred space. So I am no longer looking out on the waters of the Inner Harbor of B-more. I have been transported over the Atlantic to the Middle East, and outside my window is the Sea of Galilee!

I thought i would share this journey with you as well.