17.11.2017
BLOG: The Final Day – Dublin & Glendalough Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
The Dublin & Glendalough pilgrimage to the Holy Land is currently underway (November 3 to 14). Organised by the Diocesan Council for Mission, the pilgrimage forms part of our link with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. It is led by the Revd Dr William Olhausen with the Revd Ken Rue. During their time the pilgrims will visit Jordan, Israel and Palestine. They will follow the footsteps of Jesus, visit Holy sites and meet local people to learn about life in the Middle East. This blog is written by The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir.
The Final Day –Day 11 – November 13 2017
The final day of our Pilgrimage through the Holy Land started very early as we left the hotel at seven in order to get to the Al–Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock in the Muslim Quarter of Old Jerusalem before the queues got too long. We brought our luggage to the coach as we were not coming back to the hotel again and were leaving very late that night. The queue was long to get into the grounds of the Mosques, but only lasted half an hour. There was a very special peace about the grounds, but only Muslims are allowed inside since 2003.
Then some went to the Cyrian Orthodox Monastery of St Mark in Old Jerusalem, which is said to be built on the site where the Upper Room was. Others chose to wonder around the Old city of Jerusalem, sit down with a glass of freshly pressed pomegrande juice and watch daily life go by, do a bit of shopping – even in a narrow laneway not meant for tourists! The scent of spices, herbs, Arabic coffee, ceramics and people living there was different to what most of us are used to. Our meeting point was by the Lutheran Church in the Christian Quarter, a very simple but beautiful Church. An organ recital was taking place and the Church was full of music! Jerusalem had a different effect on each of us, but I believe we would all want to go there again.
We walked through the Holy City for the last time with our guide, Faraz, to the coach and our next stop was Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum. It touched us and reality kicked in. Unfortunately one from our group fell and broke some finger–bones and got bruising as well. They were brought to the A & E in New Jerusalem for an ex–ray and treatment. It must be said that we were all amazed at the speed of medical assistance we experienced, both with the toe in Bethlehem and fingers in Jerusalem. It was mentioned that this would not have been possible back home in Ireland where waiting is very long in most cases. Needless to say, we were on our way to Jaffa (reads origin of certain oranges), a pretty seaside resort next to the capital Tel Aviv for our last supper in the Holy Land, before catching a flight back that night. The dinner was lovely and so was the walk down by the beach of Jaffa.
Goodbyes are always hard. We were so grateful for the wonderful combination of Faraz the faithful and funny guide vs. Ramsey the careful but assertive driver. The twenty eight souls on this trip have made lasting friendships, the planning and guidance of William Olhausen and Ken Rue was second to none and for that we are grateful. This Pilgrimage has changed us all and I believe we will appreciate some of the gifts in life we have taken for granted before. May God bless the people of the Holy Land without the artificial borders and may he also bless us, who have witnessed both the beauty and the complexity.
Day 10 – 12 November 2017
As the good Anglicans we are (most of us), we went to St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem for the main Sunday Service. The Arabic/English Service was lovely and Archbishop Dawani preached in both languages. We were not the only group visiting, as there were four other groups, mostly from England. In the Cathedral grounds there is a guest house and a lovely garden, ideal for refreshments after Service. We felt very privileged to get some time with the Archbishop as he was also preparing to have the Synod of the Diocese of Jerusalem in Amman the following day. Amman is the only place the Anglican Clergy all have access to because of travel restrictions for those living in the occupied territories, so the two or three days are used very well.
We had an amazing lunch, which our driver’s wife and mother had prepared for us, very unusual stew with rice, chicken, onions, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and some exotic spices. This lunch made a nice change from our pita, falafel and hummus tradition. We had it on a sightseeing site on one of the Jerusalem hills/mountains. Simple life, when we are one with nature, is the best life.
A tour of the Greater Jerusalem area with an Israeli Guide was very interesting. We learned about the different parts of Jerusalem, both the good areas and also the deprived ones. Healthy discussions and a drive through East Jerusalem were food for thought. The most dramatic moment of that tour was to drive the Jericho Road, which has been blocked with the many metre high wall, which has divided families and caused great grief, not just there but all around the West Bank. It is a complex situation and I believe many people living in the land do not realize just how complicated it is.
As it was our final evening in Bethlehem, the travel agency kindly invited us to a restaurant in the shape of a grotto. Traditional dancing took place after the starter. The music, the moves, the colours and the expressions on the dancers’ faces really made the atmosphere so special. Many went out on the dance floor and one had an accident with their toe. Being stubborn, that person went back to the hotel to try and sort the problem, but in the end the hotel brought in a doctor who slowly but surely took care of the situation. Some said that it seemed a much quicker service than one would get in our own country. Medication was also cheap and the hotel staff went to an all night pharmacy to pick up the medication required. After the dancing, grilled meat was served and the evening was great.
Best greetings, Ása
Day 9 – 11 November 2017
Another day of sunshine and Jews are celebrating the Sabbath. Today was a spiritually rewarding day full of experiencing the different emotions in many important holy Christian places.
The Mount of Olives was a magnificent place and the peace felt there, was in no connection to the amount of cars driving by on the busy road where coaches and cars were blowing their horns.
Gethsemane was also magnificent and the olive garden is the oldest one, with the olive trees all over 1.500 years old. We stood there watching in silence, reliving the scenario.
Via Dolorosa was the busiest place, but we were set on going through the emotions. The way the crowd pushed and elbowed was possibly more like that day 1984 years ago, but strange in our peaceful pilgrimage. Our senses were filled with the colours of the fabrics of clothes and garments on shopfronts. The scents from the coffee shops and spices – still we went through that experience each in our own way as we walked in the footsteps of our Lord through the Christian and Muslim Quarters of Jerusalem, each carrying our invisible crosses.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was beautiful and like all the other churches we have been to, it was a functional church full of worshiping believers.
The final stop on our official agenda was in the Shepherd’s Field. Such peace was needed and as we worshiped for the last time today, in the beautifully designed Church/Chapel, we felt that love and peace within ourselves. Then we sat in one of the ancient caves and nothing could have disturbed our serenity.
On our way back towards the check–point into Bethlehem, some of us asked to be dropped off in the “Banksy” hotel; “The Walled Off Hotel” which is situated right inside the Wall of Bethlehem. It is not a protective wall like we know from Jerusalem and other ancient cities, rather it is there to keep the people of Bethlehem in. There is a lot of graffiti/artwork by the mysterious Banksy both on the wall as well as inside the hotel, where there is a Museum explaining the situation in Bethlehem.
Our day was filled with experience and emotions; scent, overwhelming joy, sadness, helplessness, peace and serenity. Among us there was one who went through even more emotions, it was Elizabeth’s birthday – what a way to spend that very special day!
Best greetings,Ása
Day 8 – 10th November 2017:
Today we spent mostly in Bethlehem, but went to Jerusalem herself for a little while. The political situation here in the Holy Land is very complicated. I will not get into that too much here, but something might follow after we come back from our Pilgrimage. Some of the tough situations are the refugee camps and we went to the gates of the Aida refugee camp, which was formed in 1967 after the six day war. What touched many of us was the fact that many of the original refugees (reads people without homes) kept the keys to their own homes, in Israel, which they left during the six day war. That was because they always believed they would be allowed to go home “soon”. Those have died in the camp and never got to see their “home” again. Many of the refugee camps in the Palestinian State are a group of 50 square–meter houses each family has been given and it is up to them to build on top of them if and when they are able to financially.
Our next stop was in a “settlement”, which in the eyes of the world is an illegal Jewish community, which is built on the occupied land, t.i. the West Bank. This settlement was a modern Orthodox Jewish society, with all the services needed, it is a green and beautiful place to live and they run a free medical clinic for anyone who needs it. We met there Ardie who acted as spokesperson for the community. He explained to us about the synagogue in which we met, where the Torah scrolls are kept, how valuable and revered they are and from where they are read. Like Christians they have a lectionary. To hold a service they must have a quorum of ten men. Women sit in the gallery and men in the body of the synagogue. He objected to the use of the word “settlement”; to his community they live in another Israeli town. He referenced the Hebrew Scriptures to support the right of the Jewish people to occupy the land which they believe was given to them by God in biblical times. He told us that his people do want peace with their neighbours and gave examples of efforts to achieve this. A number of things he said were in contrast to what we had heard from others. A lively question and answer time ensued!
From there we went to the Garden of the Tomb in Jerusalem, a holy and peaceful place, where we were talked through the different possibilities regarding where Golgotha would have been, the place where they hung him on the cross. Then, in the same area we went into a tomb which brought Easter Sunday closer to us. Our guide and Rev’d William had arranged Holy Communion in one of the seating areas in the Garden. It was a holy experience and when we stood up to sing “Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son” we were one with God.
Lunch was served in Ruth’s Café, a Christian restaurant in Beit Zayit, which is one of the towns surrounding Bethlehem. Back in Bethlehem we went to the Church of Nativity. The queue to go down to the Grotto was longer than we had envisaged, so instead of going down, we walked across to St Catherine’s Church and down into the caves underneath. From there we went to a souvenir supermarket, everything there is made by Christians and the proceeds go towards helping Christian families in the West Bank.
Today’s last appointment was with Dr Munayer from Musalaha Ministry, whose work aims towards promoting peace. One of their biggest projects today is “Women waging peace”. 60.000 women marched in Jerusalem recently as a result. He told us women were the change–makers in peace.
All in all a very interesting but mentally exhausting day.
Best greetings,
Ása
P.s. We were told this is the largest key in the world – by the gate into Aida camp. The key is symbolic for the keys people held on to, but were never to be used again.
You can follow the readings, prayers and hymns the pilgrims are using here.
Day 7 – 9 November 2017
A nearly three hour bus ride brought us to the Greek Orthodox Church and Order that looks after Jacob’s well. The well is situated underneath the Church in Nablus. A wee drink of it will bring each and every one of us something special.
From there we went to St Philip’s, which is an Episcopal (Anglican) Church in Nablus. A newly ordained Deacon welcomed us and told us about the work they do and how the Christians work closely together. St Philip’s have a Sunday school for children in all Christian Churches in Nablus, on Fridays. We asked the obvious question regarding ordination of female clergy but the general feeling seems to be that the region is not ready for that. Perhaps we might help them in that direction. It will be interesting to see how they develop. It was in Nablus that the tribes of Israel renewed their covenant with God.
On our way out of Nablus, we drove through a modern Samaritan village, which has their own language and alphabet. Their Scripture is the five Books of Moses, which they follow with great respect. We did not get to see the ruins of their old Synagogue. The fact that there are only 800 Samaritans in Israel and the Palestinian State makes it even more interesting. The village is on Mount Garazim, which is the holiest place according to the Samaritans.
Our guide and our driver organized today’s lunch on the slope of a mountain belonging to a farmer’s family. Not many in Ireland would even think of farming in the dry soil, but all the farmers asked us to do was to pray for rain. We will do that as soon as we are about to leave! The lunch was the typical Mediterranean pita–bread, olives, hummus and so on. Refreshing and different.
We have been very lucky with the weather, it has been pleasantly warm, 23–30C°, though it was slightly cooler today as we were so far up in the mountains.
In Ramallah, the current Capital of the West Bank, we saw a very busy city. It is the largest city within the West Bank. In St Andrew’s there is an active Episcopal congregation and as in other cities we have visited, the Anglicans seem to be in a leading position amongst Christians. Rather than being seen to work together in an Ecumenical way, they appear to be united outwards, they simply all call themselves Christians. The Rector/Father there, was very clear and intelligent man who gave us a more detailed view into the challenges Christians face in a setting which young people often do not see themselves settling into after studying either in Europe or in U.S. There is sadness in that, but the Church sees itself having a role to play in caring for the elderly who sometimes are alone with their children not even being able to visit them because of visa complications.
Today, we have been driving through border control gates in and out of the West Bank and the next days will be similar. The Oslo agreement has made life easier for Palestinians, but at the end of the day the restrictions make life anything but simple. It is amazing that the Palestinians/Arabs of two faiths, Muslims and Christians seem to get along fine as respect and peace are exercised by both sides of the coin.
We ended the day in the lovely Bethlehem and tomorrow we will see more of it. Our hotel is the best one during this pilgrimage and at the end of the day, a good clean bed is all one needs. Blessings from Bethlehem.
The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir
Day 6 – 8 November 2017
What an amazing day for Pilgrims in the Holy Land! Up early and after breakfast we were on our way to Mount Tabor to the site where the Transfiguration of Jesus took place. It is where Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah, fulfilling the prophesy from the Old Testament. For the first time on this pilgrimage we experienced long queues, but the beautiful church and the atmosphere made us stop worrying about that. The view was astonishing. On our way to Mount Tabor, our guide read the Gospel which is one of his favourite Bible passages and asked us to think about which blessing was our favourite.
Then we went to the town of Magdala in the region of Galilee, the hometown of Mary Magdalene. Magdala was attacked in the first century and most of the inhabitants were killed. Christ would have been there frequently and most likely read and preached in that very Synagogue we saw the ruins of. Only men were allowed in on the main floor, but women were allowed to go up to the gallery so they could see the men in their families, but the men were not allowed to look up. The exception was that handicapped women and widows were allowed in the main room as they were not likely to interrupt men in the same way, as they prayed. Behind the Synagogue was a breathtakingly beautiful Church, Duc In Altum or “Go deeper”. The Altar was in the shape of a boat and the side–chapels had mosaic pictures with scenes from the New Testament of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.
A very memorable boat trip on the Sea of Galilee is what many thought of as the highlight of the day. We were delighted at the start of our journey when they raised the Tricolour and played our National Anthem which we all stood up and sung to. Though ours was not the only boat on the lake, we were in our own space. The second Bible reading and reflection brought us even closer to our Lord, Mark 4:35–41.
When in Galilee one has to try St Peter’s fish and that is just what we did in a lovely restaurant at the bank of the Sea of Galilee. As everything had taken a little longer than expected, we knew we were not going to walk down the Mount of Beatitudes, but we went to the site, where our third Gospel reading and reflection took place from Matthew 5:1–12. Then we attempted to drive down quickly to Capernaum. Despite the best efforts of our driver, were there literally a minute after closing time and were refused entrance. Some of us found that very disappointing, but our guide, Faraz knows the area well and managed to get us down to the pebbled shore of the Sea. Some walked into the water, but weather their faith was not strong enough or they simply had not thought of the possibility, no–one walked ON the Sea of Galilee. Being there was one of those moments we will always remember. Today had many of those moments and you who read this might want to ask some of us on this Pilgrimage what was the highlight or most memorable for us on this day.
The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir
Day 5 – 7 November 2017:
After breakfast in our lovely hotel in Nazareth, we headed off to Haifa, the third largest city in Israel, where Jews, Muslims and Christians all live in more harmony than elsewhere in Israel and have for a long time. I spent two summers there as a teenager and it was wonderful to revisit all those years later. We met Rev’d Hatem Shehadeh in St John’s Church in Haifa. He will be joining us on the D&G Clergy Conference in February. His talk on how it is to be a Christian minister in the Diocese of Jerusalem, was very interesting and we ended up singing in his Church as the organist was eager to play and we eager to sing! St John’s School has an award winning peace programme for Christian and Muslim education which is being adapted elsewhere.
After that we went to Mount Carmel where Elijah challenged Israel to worship the true God. It was my (rev’d Ása’s) turn to lead the short worship on 1 Kings 18:17–39. It brought us back to the reality of our communities where we share a space with many in a multicultural and sometimes secular world. A personal witness of how it was to be a Christian teenager in the beautiful multicultural city of Haifa over thirty years ago and witness the pain still lingering with victims of the WW2. The view from Mount Carmel was spectacular and the sun was shining as we enjoyed a slight breeze in 23°C over 500 metres over sea level.
After a typical Mediterranean lunch, our driver Ramsey, brought us back to Nazareth where we experienced the way of life in the first century. Nazareth Village is a mostly man–made replica of life in the time of Jesus and it was fascinating to learn how the simple tools are still used, the threshing floor for making wine and the olive–press are still in working condition. We all got a pretty traditional oliveoil–lamp as a present on our departure.
Our guide, Faraz has been great and very accommodating as we are not always the quickest to do as we are told. His great sense of humour and word–game is as important as his genuine care for our wellbeing. A valid testimony to what it is to belong to a Christian minority group in Israel.
We finished the official programme today with a talk from journalist and writer, Jonathan Cook. He is a British and Israeli citizen who is married to a Palestinian lady. He gave his outlook in the current situation in Israel and the West Bank and took questions. It was a fascinating end to the day!
The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir
You can follow the readings, hymns and prayers the group is using on their journey here.
Day 4 – 6 November 2017:
After a very early start, we found ourselves on the beautiful Del Mar Elijah Heights, where the prophet lived and was ascended to heaven. The sun was shining and the view over to Israel was amazing.
As we headed for the border into Israel, we stopped in a hillside town to have refreshments (reads very strong Arabic coffee). For some reason there were many young boys who were very interested in us and even came into our bus as we were getting ready to leave. They received sweets very happily.
The border is a serious place, our passports were looked at four times, all our luggage screened twice and the whole thing took close to two hours. No real problems, apart from the fact that one of our leaders had been to Gaza not long ago, bringing our collection towards the building of the hospital – a wonderful Diocesan project. All good and bad things come to an end and when they finally let him through, we drove quickly with our new driver and Bethlehem based Christian guide to Cana where Jesus’ first miracle took place.
Our top goal for the day was Nazareth and none of us was disappointed by either the meeting with the Vicar of Christ Church in Nazareth, nor the lovely hotel we are staying at. Vicar Nael Abu Rahmoun is a Palestinian Anglican, now serving in Nazareth. His story touched our hearts and the work he is doing is truly remarkable. After his talk, Suzanne read and reflected on Luke 4:16–30 which is the reading behind the Communion table in Christ Church here and we sang “Beauty for brokenness”. After that Rev William offered to pray for the Vicar, his congregation and all the work they do, both in the congregation and also from an ecumenical or interfaith perspective. The photo below is from that prayer and blessing with laying on of hands.
The hotel in Nazareth is very central and the city is full of life. The dinner was great and all retired early to their rooms. Good night to you all from this very holy city.
The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir
Day Three – 5 November 2017:
We were up bright and early this morning, the wake–up call was at 6:30, which is 4:30 Irish time. Our tour–guide here in Jordan is a local man, Elias, with a great sense of humour and with him is the coach driver and a “Tourist Policeman”.
After a lovely and very informative tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan, we headed for Mount Moab, where God showed Moses where his people would go: “Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. 4 The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’” (Deuteronomy 34: 1b–4)
We saw Jericho very clearly and the Jerusalem mountains, but Moses was given a special permit to see much further than the rest of us. The beautiful Church on the top of Mount Nebo had beautiful Mosaic floors that have been preserved, see picture below. We were invited to see how mosaic is made, in a workshop in the Nebo area.
Then we went to Madaba, which is the largest Christian settlement here and where our Christian tour–guide is from. We had a lovely traditional lunch there, pita–bread, hummus and the works – in a Christian restaurant. In Madaba 20% of the population is Christian, but in Jordan they form 5% of the nation.
It has been very interesting to see how there is peace and respect between the Sunni Muslims and Christians here as well as the Bedouins and other small tribes. A large group of people of Palestinian origin has also settled here and all children get the same opportunities regarding schooling and so on.
Our last place today was the city of Jerash, where we saw Roman ruins, which were very interesting. Again the mosaic floors were magnificent and the greatness of the place gave a very good picture of how it all must have been.
Tired pilgrims are going early to bed, as tomorrow’s wake–up call will be at 6 a.m.
The Revd Ása Bjork Olafsdottir
Day Two – 4 November 2017:
Day two of our pilgrimage started with a traditional Jordanian breakfast buffet which included olives, peppers, hummus, salads, selection of cheeses, eggs and pitta. We then visited Bethany beyond the Jordan and the most probable sight of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan river. The river also marks the border between Jordan and Israel.
The weather was beautiful and we were able to see Jericho in the distance and, beyond, the Jerusalem hills. It was a wonderful way to prepare ourselves to meet with and encounter the Lord.
The area East of the Jordan where we were is also the place of Elijah’s birth and from where he was taken up to heaven in the firey chariot! We then went to the Dead Sea for mud treatments and a float in the salty water. The Dead Sea is 400 metres below sea level and is the lowest point on earth.
We concluded our day by joining with the International Anglican Church in Amman. Here is a picture of all the group with the minister, the Revd Mal Forrest.
Day One – 3 November 2017:
The Dublin & Glendalough diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land begins as we gather in Amman Airport, Jordan. This pilgrimage is part of our five year partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem.
We will be spending three nights in Amman. Tomorrow we visit Bethany beyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptised. Then we go on to the Dead Sea for a dip and maybe treat our bodies to the famous Dead Sea mud! Our final stop will be to attend the English speaking service at the Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Amman.
