ISRAEL 2022: DAY 12

Jerusalem

Last time I was in Jerusalem, the crowds were thick and pungent, but Covid restrictions have thinned the throngs of tourists this year. It’s quiet enough to hide in a tiny, darkened alcove, seated beneath a Greek Orthodox painting. About 15 minutes into my short hermitage, a profound realization came over me; I was seated at the feet of Jesus. The painting is of the crucifixion, but one focal point is the women who endured the pain of watching Jesus breathe his last. And now, in this stolen moment, I joined them. Sitting at the feet of Jesus. It’s a brutal reality…it’s a beautiful memory. Paradox. Dichotomy. Salvation.

“Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (Matthew 27:55-56).