Arriving in Jerusalem

Arriving in Jerusalem, Monday, February 4

Gwen and I left her house 3:30 this morning to make our way to Heathrow airport. Needless to say that I didn’t sleep much. It was strange and pleasant to experience the streets of London empty and quiet.

From airport terminal 1, I left at 6:20am on a German carrier to Frankfurt, Germany; and then on the same carrier to Tel Aviv, Israel.

It was a wonderful feeling to be flying over the Mediterranean and to see the shores of Israel appear. Israel. I am in Israel. Wow. Israel: he who struggles with God. Israel: the land that our Lord Jesus walked upon.

Of course God is not in a single geographical place. God’s creative hand is in all of creation throughout the whole of the universe. And God is in every single human being - that is what Christians celebrate in the Incarnation at Christmas. 

In fact, as a favorite author of mine likes to quote, God comes to us disguised as ourselves. 

Or another favorite quote: my deepest me is God.

What makes this holy land more special is because the historical Jesus walked upon its shores, its roads, its towns. 

The view from my room at night

 St.George’s College, which is where I am staying and from where the course is being taught, is in the old city of Jerusalem. The streets are busy and congested. And it is easy to see the new developments in Jerusalem, and that which is part of the old city.

Entrance to the college

I arrived just in time this evening for the opening Eucharist for the course in the Cathedral. The realization occurred to me while we were celebrating the Holy Communion is that I have now shared in the Lord’s Supper in the very city that He took bread and wine and said “this is my body, this is my blood.” Wow.

St.George's Cathedral

This is going to be a wonderfully Spirit filled pilgrimage to this Holy Land of our Lord.