The good Samaritans

There are 800 Samaritans left in the world. There were thousands of them until Hitler almost eradicated them and they were killed subsequently  in the next few wars that affected them. They were brought down to about 100 people worldwide. They moved to two places and have slowly been increasing their numbers since. They are a fascinating group of people. Here is a Priest

He said to us, "You read in your Bible about the 'Good Samaritans.' That's us." It was funny. Here is their Torah Scroll! They believe they have the original Torah as written by Moses.

Here is a blessing written on a tablet in the ancient Samaritan language, with a TV in the background. I like it because it reminds me of the Priest's quote: "We are modern. We have TV, we have internet, we have Facebook."

We also went to Jacob's well, which was the place that Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman and revealed that He was the Messiah. The well is located under a Greek Orthodox Church, which was absolutely beautiful! We couldn't take pictures at the actual well, but I got pictures of the Church.

Here is the entry to the church. I have so many great pictures from it, so it was hard to just pick a couple! Look on Facebook if you want to see more!

That pretty much sums up yesterday! It was an amazing day!

Life in College

I have been doing some pretty heavy posts lately, so I thought I'd just share a little bit of what it's like here in Jerusalem. You may or may not have heard that there is a little bit of unrest in the city. Yesterday morning, an Israeli police officer shot and killed a Palestinian man. There have been riots in certain portions of town because of this. It's not dangerous for me. Nobody is upset at Americans, and we are all staying away from that part of town anyway. So, no need for concern!

We did go out last night to celebrate Megan's birthday. We just hung out and walked around the city. It is great to have close friends here. And we are close because we see each other like all the time, every day. I am already sad that in less than three months, I will not be around these people any longer.

I hope all of you are well. It is hard to believe I've been away from the States for almost a month now. I so look forward to seeing all of you again!

Oh, and I may see Matisyahu in concert while here in Israel. He is Jewish, and sings some great songs. Here is one of them about him hoping for the day when there will be peace. Take some time to listen to it if you get a chance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDagHLCSKBg&ob=av2n

Wilderness

Psalm 23:1-4- The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of His reputation. Even when I must walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no danger, for you are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The Wilderness is also known as the "Valley of the Shadow of Death." This is what David was describing in this famous Psalm. This is a very dangerous place for many reasons. People who know the land hide out so they can rob and kill you (Remember the parable of the good Samaritan?). There is no water for miles and miles. The trek from Jerusalem to Jericho is 12-14 hours, and often you're carrying belongings or stopping to let your sheep graze wherever they can find a tiny bush to graze on. The sun beats down on you with temperatures well over 100 degrees. The number one cause of death isn't dehydration, though. It's flash floods. If you're in one of those Valleys of the Shadow of Death and a flash flood comes, you will die.

This is the Wilderness. This is not a good place to live, or die, or anything in between. The Bible talks about this place often. Here's the twist though: sometimes, God wants His people to go here.

The Wilderness is a place where God's people can truly rely on Him. David understood this. Why did he fear no danger in the Valley of the Shadow of Death? He was relying and trusting in God. He is comforted by the fact that God is with him.

The Wilderness can be symbolic for many times in our lives. Sometimes, we look around, and we see Wilderness. We see the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In these times, what is your comfort?

Western Wall

I went to the Western (also known by many as the "Wailing") Wall last night. It was a surreal experience. I hadn't gone to the Wall and prayed yet- partly because I hadn't felt like it earlier, but also because I wanted to wait for the right time. Last night Yom Kippur started.

Little education about the feasts in Israel: 5 days ago, we celebrated Rosh HaShanah, which is the new year. Once Rosh HaShanah starts, Jews have 5 days to repent and make themselves right before God, hoping that God will put them in the "Book of Life" for the next year. If they do not repent, God will open the book that holds all their deeds in it, and will judge them accordingly. However, if they do repent, they put on white (one of the only days in the year that an Orthodox Jew will wear white), and Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and one final day of prayer for God's forgiveness.

So this is the day I decided to pray at the Western Wall- a day when Jews around Jerusalem are in Synagogue or at the Wall praying for forgiveness. At the Wall, often Jews will just bury their face in it- it is their way of getting as close to God as possible. So I put my forehead against the Wall, and I spent some time thanking God for Christ's one act of forgiveness, which covers all my sins.

As I was walking away, I looked back, and I saw the picture that I put up at the top of this blog. I had a sudden realization. You see, the Jews view the Temple Mount as their most sacred place. The Muslims have their Dome of the Rock on top of the Temple Mount, as if to say "This belongs to Allah, not to Adonai." This is why it is called the "Wailing" Wall, because Jews weep (literally, I have seen it) and weep, praying that God would restore it back to them.

Christians have a different hope. I won't go into the significance of Pentecost, but basically Pentecost means that God no longer dwells on top of a hill, on top of the Temple Mount. God is in me. If you have believed in Christ as the one who takes away your sin, who forgives you, you have access to God wherever you are. You don't need to pray at the Western Wall, you can pray anywhere you want, and God will hear you.

I have been thinking about this since I left the Western Wall last night. I am grateful that God has forgiven me of my sins, and that I have access to Him!

How beautiful are the feet...

Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

Unfortunately, though I have done all these things (I currently live on Mt. Zion), my feet are currently not beautiful. My right foot, to be exact.

If you're thinking that a foot is not supposed to look like that, you're right. Here's the story: Every week before Sabbath, we play Ultimate Frizbee. Ultimate Frizbee is like football with a frizbee, only there's no breaks between downs and there's no tackling, and there's tons of running. I was running, and somehow I managed to land on the side of my foot, where that big bulge is coming out. I did mostly the right things to make it better, but it still turned different colors and ballooned on me.

It would have been ok if we didn't have to walk all around Jerusalem the next day (yesterday). It was a little painful, but I made it through. I couldn't let you, my faithful readers, go without some great pictures! Anyway, truthfully, it turned out way better than I was expecting. Today, I am resting it and it should be fine by tomorrow!

So, here goes nothing!

This is the famous temple of Herod the Great! Herod the Great was the one who tried to kill Jesus as a baby. The story goes that the Magi came and asked Herod where the King of the Jews was, for they saw the star and knew that a King had been born. Herod (already paranoid for his throne) decided to kill all the boys between the ages of 0-2. Mary and Joseph managed to escape with Jesus, and the rest is history. His temple was amazing. All my archaeologist friends here were in heaven!

This is the place that commemorates where Jesus cried tears of blood before his arrest. It is almost certainly not where he actually was, but as you can see, it is considered a holy place for many Christians.

We went from there to Bethlehem. This is just a small part of the place they believe Jesus was born at (this place is also not certain, but it is a very good guess). This is a tourist site now, and it is inside of a church. This guy is really excited to see it.

That's my friend Dan, by the way. He's a cook here at the school, and a good man.

Since coming to Jerusalem, I have seen many places that are considered holy. In fact, the city of Jerusalem is considered a holy site in and of itself. These places certainly are significant because of the things that have happened here, but sometimes I stand and look at one of these holy places and think, "That's just an ordinary thing." The reason people consider these places holy is because they stand for something greater. It is a great experience being here not simply because I can experience great things, but because I can experience things that were part of a greater story. It is here that God himself showed his love for us in this way: while we were still sinners, He died for us!

Hello World

I have had several people recently tell me that they have been reading my blog. Thanks for your encouragement! I kinda have this blog more for my own benefit than anyone else, if that makes any sense. This is my way to get out the way I've been feeling, what I've been experiencing, and whatever else, so that someday I can look back and remember (there's a Hebrew word zakar which means to remember, ponder, think about, reflect and let it sink in and change. This is the word often used when you read "Remember the Lord your God.").

Onto the pictures!

You may be tired of seeing the Dome on the Rock, but it's a truly fascinating building. I finally got the opportunity to go onto the Temple Mount!

Brief history lesson: The Jewish temple was destroyed in 70 AD. In the 7th century, I believe, Jerusalem was taken over by Muslims, and they built the Dome of the Rock on the place where the temple was. So, we still call it Temple Mount even though it is a Muslim holy place.

It is so intricate!

Here I am at the outside wall of the Temple Mount!

This is a group of Orthodox Jews praying and praising at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. It is the closes place they have to the original Temple, so that is where they pray. On the bottom right, you see some teenagers holding hands in a circle and praising. It is a powerful image of their desire for God.

On a personal note, I have met several great people here at school! It's nice to have friends. Living in a dorm again is interesting. I really like it. I walk outside my room, and I see several of my friends. And I got to play basketball recently! Very few people at the school play basketball seriously (or like in my case, ultra-seriously), but it's still fun!

Also, I picked up another class on Old Testament Narratives and focusing on the significance of Mount Sinai! I'm beyond pumped!

Today begins the Jewish new year! Shana Tova! Let's make this year great! :)

New Adventures!

I traveled around Jerusalem yesterday with my teacher, Dr. Wright. Here is Dr. Wright teaching some of us.

This particular photo happens to be on the stairs that led up to the Temple Mount in the 1st Century AD. In other words, it is where Jesus stood and taught. And it is where people came to debate, to learn, and to find God! It is believed that this may be the place where Peter gave his speech after Pentecost, when 3,000 people entered the Kingdom. Paul sat here, listening to his Rabbi Gamaliel in much the same way these students are sitting listening to Dr. Wright.

Here is a photo of a beautiful church (dedicated to Jesus' grandmother). It is right next to the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus told a lame man to get up and walk, and he did! This church is known as the singing Church. Some of the best vocalists in the world come here to sing praises to God, simply because of the acoustics of the place. We sang Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision here in this church, and a Japanese friend stood and sang a worship song in Japanese!

There is such a rich history in every single place we go! I love it! This next photo is something you may recognize. It is the Wailing Wall. Sometime soon I will revisit this wall, and get the chance to pray at it, like the Jews do so passionately.

At the very end of the very tiring day, we stood on top of a hotel and looked out over the city. Here is a photo that I really liked:

In the background, you see the famous gold-studded Dome of the Rock. But front and center, you see the cross. It's not very religious of me, but this reminds me of Indiana Jones 3, when Indiana has to choose the Holy Grail. He looks at all the shiny ones that lead to death, and finally picks the carpenter's cup, which leads to life. Sometimes the best answer isn't what we think. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Choosing to follow Christ may seem foolish to some, but only in following Christ is there the power of God!

Shabbat Shalom

Just wanted to say hi to the faithful few readers I have! Nothing much has been happening, but I will tell you what little has happened!

Yesterday I played a couple hours of Ultimate Frizbee! My team dominated, of course... and I made several mistakes that almost cost us the game on several occasions, of course.

Then, Shabbat started! We had a BBQ to start of the semester, and had some worship! It was great. I ended up talking to a couple Messianic Jews that attend the school. It's always fun to talk to someone who is very different than you on certain issues, but very close on most. When you're looking for it, it's not too hard to find the common ground!

Today, I got up early (gasp) to go to a Messianic Jewish Synagogue! It was... interesting. It was all in Hebrew, and they spent hours praying written prayers from the Torah and from Rabbinic prayers. They mentioned Jesus once, and they read from the New Testament once. I have a hard time calling that acceptable. I should be the last one to judge them, because I hardly even know their culture, and perhaps they do view Jesus as central to their faith, I just don't see it because of the cultural differences. The Messianic Jews that came with me did not enjoy it either, so I felt better about that.

Just a thought... the Bible is a book about Jesus. When you're reading the Old Testament, you're seeing foreshadows of Jesus. When you're reading the New Testament, you're reading about Jesus and his followers. It's all one unified book that points to Christ! We cannot focus too much on the New Testament (as Americans tend to do), and we cannot focus too much on the Old Testament (as Jewish Christians may tend to do). My Messianic Jewish friend has once again challenged me to take seriously the commands of the Old Testament and pray to God to reveal to me how to live!

Anyway, tomorrow we are doing a field trip. I should know where we're going, but I have forgotten... so you're just gonna have to wait until probably Monday before I post!

Shabbat Shalom!

Tower of David Museum!

Yesterday, Megan and I went to the Tower of David Museum.

It was fascinating. A lot of it was just Jewish History, with some artifacts, but here were the highlights:

1. Looking out onto Jerusalem from the wall! What a beautiful sight!

2. Viewing the remains of what they believe to be King Herod's 1st Century castle!

Later in the Day, I played Settlers of Catan, and lost. But it was still great to play it again!

Here are some pictures from wandering around and getting lost yesterday.