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!