Israel: Day 3

Today began as an unsettling adventure. We went to visit the Temple Mount, the likely location of the Jewish Temple, the host site for the holy of holies. Now home to worship spaces for Muslims, I immediately felt unwanted and in a place of void… I felt extremely uneasy. Though I do not believe that God’s presence is absent from that place, I felt separated from that peaceful presence. I do not remember a time where I have felt that same void of “The Great Nothing.”

After spending some time studying the historical, architectural elements of the site, I began to relax but remained vigilant. Using a little imagination, I tried to imagine the Temple aloft the mount, overlooking the intersecting valleys. I let my mind wander as I imagined the biblical scenes of sacrifice, prayer and worship. I pondered how it must have felt to feel the ground shake as the veil was torn in two. The rubble of the Temple now lies upon the valley floor, a reminder of what was.

From this seemingly lacking “mountaintop experience,” we journeyed down to the Wailing Wall. I felt emotional as I felt His presence upon me once again. In this place, the prayers of joys and sorrows are interspersed. I witnessed the devotion of men and young boys seeking to please their God, seeking to honor their beloved. These men prayed solemn prayers, perhaps prayers of desperation, seeking wisdom. In this same space, I heard the sounds of joyful celebration and faces of joy. Young “men” carried the scrolls signifying carrying the burden of the law for themselves, family members’ faces shown with pride and exuberance. The sounds of drums, horns and song echoed throughout the valley. This “mountaintop experience” took place at the base of the wall under the Temple…

As I reflect upon the day, I am reminded of the topography of Jerusalem, David’s City. The City of David sits lower than all the surrounding hills yet through God’s vision has been exalted and lifted up higher than all others. David, the unlikely candidate was lifted to a place of high position and power through his love for God. Our Savior was set up upon a tree and lifted up to the highest of positions. From lowly to exalted, our God reigns.