Beautiful view, more beautiful experience being in Jerusalem where Jesus Christ changed the world!
Biblical Moment No. 7 of Andy’s Spiritual Journey to Israel & Palestine:
2 Chronicles 6:6: “Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.”
From the Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City… which contains the Western Wall (Judaism)… Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christianity)… and the Dome of the Rock (Islam)… all three faiths plus more religions and 40,000 residents living in respect, harmony, & peace for the most part!
If Jerusalem can do it, why can’t the world?
Comment Highlights:
Diane Mogannam Straetker: I’m smiling!!!
Heidi Moya: So awesome! I’ve been there and it was a wonderful experience that I will never forgforget ❤️?❤️
Jason LeBlanc: Awesome experience!
Jane Berg: An area rich in history. Enjoy immensely.
Donna Papas Simons: Merry Christmas Andy, I hope your trip fills you with joy, peace and hope.
Barbara Helfer: Safe journey. Best wishes for a joyous holiday season and coming new year.
Genie Brady: Awesome pictures.
Katherine Deen Way: So cool! Where are you spending Christmas? Bethlehem?
Andy Reistetter: You called it Katherine Deen Way! Have a ticket for Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity! Celebrating Jesus’ birth where Jesus was born! How good is that? TROML Baby! Merry Christmas!
Katherine Deen Way: Andy Reistetter wow, that is so exciting! I wished I would have been there with you! Merry Christmas! ?
Andy Reistetter: Katherine Deen Way It really was quite spectacular. St. Catherine’s Church is attached to The Church of the Nativity & the Baby Jesus in the final procession was placed in the grotto below the Nativity altar just like when Baby Jesus appeared in our world!
Al-le-lu-ia!!! Merry Christmas!
Edward Duffy: Very cool Andy. A place that I’ve always wanted to visit.
Dennis Berkholtz: More posts please!
If there is one day I will remember of my 28-day Spiritual Journey to Israel & Palestine it will be this day—Day No. 6. Staying in Jerusalem in Israel for some reason I woke up with the conviction to take a bus to Checkpoint 300 and visit Bethlehem in Palestine. Specifically the place where Jesus was born in the grotto or small cave beneath the altar of the Church of the Nativity. I had done my research. It would be a short 10-minute straight-away bus ride down Route 60 on Bus 324 to the border and then another two miles or so to Nativity Square. Seven shekels and a gut-level calling to go to Palestine to pay my respect and worship that little Baby Jesus that change the world. On a day exactly one week before Christmas!
The walk was exhilarating and a bit challenging as it was definitely up to the Church of the Nativity. One cab driver stopped to tell me it was too dangerous to be walking through the area I was walking through. He might have been right but turned out to be wrong. I followed the endless streams of cabs down the side streets they using hydrocarbon power and me using foot power. It wasn’t long before I emerged on what I knew to be Main Street. I knew the right direction—uphill! Isn’t it strange how there are times in life that you know you are in exactly the right place heading in the right direction looking for the right thing and knowing that you will find it?
The first sign was hard to miss whether walking or riding along in a taxi cab. I was on the other side of it now. Being an American I know I am blessed with freedom to come and go as I like virtually throughout the world. Some people can’t do that and some have died trying and their names and their stories are on that wall. I have been to Soweto in Johannesburg, South Africa from which Nelson Mandela emerged to be president following a serpentine and serendipitous route in life. What I have seen of Palestine so far is definitely not Soweto but I have yet to tour a settlement camp from 1946. These murals tell a story that the world must hear!
I got up and continued walking through the city of Bethlehem to the place of enormous importance. The third sign appeared to me as I noticed a statue on the other side of the street. Not one of a single man, woman or person or committee (good luck finding one of those) but one of the number ‘2’ and three links of chain extending towards the heavens. Fascinated I crossed the street to have a closer look and to take some pictures. I like when the story of the artwork is clearly displayed to put me in the mind and perspective of the creator. This one had it and it is like you or I wanted the same thing for us and our grandchildren, one of which I now have been blessed with! The links are our three monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—reaching for the third millennium from the second instead of “tumbling down in a clash for the past.”
It took me a while to figure out the bus passing through the border process. Bus stops. Palestinians get off and wait in line to have their credentials checked. Israel soldiers with AK-47s come on board and walk the aisle looking for suspicious people I guess. After being interrogated the Palestinians re-board the same bus and we cross the border in silence as though nothing happened. No judgment here but it seems to me that there are two definitions of ‘country’ when it comes to Palestine and Israel. I believe in the State of Israel, my opinion is that it is biblical. I also believe in the State of Palestine. Every nationality should have their own country with the respect of Mahmoud and the hope of Ottaviano. We are blessed way beyond our nonexistent entitlement in America that is for sure.
I sought and I found the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Moments later I found myself in the tomb with Jesus where he died and was resurrected. No lines, no wait, almost as if it was pre-destined. Though we do not know the hour of our death I imagine it will be something like the day I had today. Only closeness, human and spiritual freedom and completeness forever.
After taking more than my fair share of time in the grotto where Jesus was born I emerged to the beautiful altar of the Church of the Nativity. There I lit a candle rejoicing in the Lord’s upcoming birth and found a nook to journal a bit and read my Bible. Then I went back and thanked Lourdes and Mahmoud. Even though they do not know one another they knew me and my Splendid Spiritual Self through their Splendid Spiritual Selves and helped me along in my spiritual journey. I would see them both again on Christmas.
Biblical Moment 11: Simon the Tanner’s House in Jaffa; Saint Peter’s Vision of Human Worldwide Unity!
Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” So he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Acts 10: 17-23 (NASB)
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.”
3 “For You had cast me into the deep,
7 “While I was fainting away,
3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9 Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”
4 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4 The Lord said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
