Today we woke up early and departed at 5:30am for the Via Delarosa (Way of Sorrows). The streets were empty, aside from a few cars, because Fridays are Holy Days; the Muslim Day of worship. Plus, it’s early people! LOL We walked in silence to the Old City, and walked the Stations of the Cross marked off at different locations throughout the Muslim and Christian Quarters. We took turns carrying the cross down the streets, and also took turns reading at each station from John Peterson’s book,
“A Walk in Jerusalem: Stations of the Cross”. It was an emotional experience for many, and also one I’m sure we will never forget. The final 5 stations are located within the Holy Sepulcher, which are only walked during Holy Week, so we finished them at the dome that sits overtop Calvary.
We returned to St. George’s College for breakfast, and then went by bus to Emmaus. This is a significant location, found in Luke 24:13, as it reveals the journey on which 2 people walking to Emmaus, after the Crucifixion, encountered the risen Jesus on the road! Were we at the exact location, no one knows, but the point is that Jesus meets us on our journey; not always at a particular physical location, but most certainly on our spiritual journey.
We had Eucharist, walked the grounds that were being excavated, and then went for a nice lunch at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem. After lunch we made our journey to the Dead Sea. Swim suits and towels in hand, we made our way to the lowest place in the world; about 420 meters below sea level (approx. 1400 feet below sea level). It was hot. Very hot. “Good Morning Vietnam” hot! 😓😎
Warning signs throughout the area warned of the danger of getting the water in your eyes, and possible life threatening conditions if one were to swallow too much of the water. You “float” in the Dead Sea. You do not splash or try to swim. So buoyant, it’s hard not to stay on your back, and if you’re in too deep, you can’t use your arms to turn yourself back over. Hence, some panic and end up in trouble, resulting in a trip to the showers (literally) and the lifeguard station. We were all good ... but there’s always one who gives you a scare. Those who went in the water now have silky smooth skin.
We left the Dead Sea for a dinner party and reception at our guide, Iyad Qumri’s, home in Jericho. We exchanged gifts with our prayer partners, ate a delicious meal, had great conversations and watched a YouTube clip called, “The West Bank Story.”
What a great time we have had on this pilgrimage, and everyone now has their
luggage from United ... just in time to go home. Can’t make this stuff up. Tomorrow is a free day, so we will see what happens. Hope you're following Marcia's Facebook photos, because we haven't been able to load them from here on this blog. Good night.
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