It is a beautiful thing… I am lounging on the roof of Tantur Ecumenical Institution sitting in the well over thirty degree Jerusalem heat at a loss for words of the incredible panoramic view that lies 360 degrees around me.
The Biblical history that surrounds me right now is in many ways overwhelming, certainly beyond my comprehension. If I were able to travel back through the pages of history in the exact location I currently am in I would see some of the most amazing things that have ever taken place on planet earth.
Directly in front of me is Bethlehem (no more than a five minute walk), behind me is the Old City of Jerusalem, and all around me is the desert that is so often referred to in the Bible. If I had this time traveling machine I would be able to see the shepherds being greeted by the angels on the hills directly in front of me (Luke2:8-20), I would be able to see on one of the many hills in front of me a scared, recently widowed, and loving Ruth gleaning the fields of Boaz (Ruth 2:1-23), I would be able to see the hectic busyness of Bethlehem because of Caesar Augustus’ issued decree, I would see many faithful Jews returning to their home town, I would see Mary and Joseph travel across this very hill-laden land as Mary was having her contractions, about to give birth to the saviour of the world, I would see a terrified Abraham as he traveled to the current location of the Dome of the Rock to Rock to obediently sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22). I would see the Israelites under David’s guidance take the Ark of the Covenant to the Old City of Jerusalem, I would see Jesus walk these hills with His disciples as He taught them, I would see Amos walk nervously from Tekoa (just on the far side of Bethlehem) to deliver a message that God had given him, I could see all of the events that take place on the Mount of Olives, and I could see King David as he stayed back in Jerusalem while his army went past here to go to war (this is what led to his tragic moral failure with Bathsheba). This is I would see many, many other biblical events. While I cannot see all of these places clearly, I can definitely see all of these locations with a good set of binoculars (there general region invisible)...
That’s the Biblical history, but what about the more recent history?
Directly in front of me is a thirty foot wall that serves as a constant reminder to the Palestinians that they are not wanted, appreciated, liked or cared for at all in Israel. That “their kind of people” are to stick in Bethlehem. If any Palestinians want to get into Jerusalem they have to go through a jail of a system, through barbed wire and chain link fence just to step foot into a city that is literally ten feet away. A heartbreaking reminder of what happens when people reject Jesus and live according to their own plans. If I were here only a few years ago I would literally have people all around me (on this very rooftop, no lie) with machine guns, sniper rifles, grenades and other weapons of murder as bombs flew over my head.
My central location between Jerusalem and Israel is at the very heart of so many pivotal events in history (both biblical and politically) it really is wild to think that I am sitting right here, right now in peace and security at the very heart of so much world political and religious history.
It is a crazy region of the world, but one loaded with so much history... More will be coming!
-kAt
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