here are some general thoughts, not organized or structured in any particular way:
1. Today an older woman in her 80s refused to leave a church. This church was built on the land that holds a rock that people believe Jesus knelt before the night before his crucifixion. Aside from physically removing her, we tried everything to get her to leave. But at 10 am when it was time to go to the next site scheduled on the tour, she was too overcome to leave. So we had to leave her. At 10 am in Jerusalem there are hundreds of large buses just like ours, full of tourists who speak languages from all over the world. Traffic is as thick as any other major metropolitan city. This woman only speaks English and may or may not have known the name of her hotel, or even the general direction to get to it.
2. There is another woman on the tour who speaks in tongues. (not the only one). The other day I was sitting next to her when someone was giving a speech that she found especially moving or spiritual so she started to mutter the tongues. Most of the people who speak in tongues don’t shout them out, they mutter them under their breath. So I listened intently to what tongues she was speaking. Was she speaking the language of angels? Was she speaking an antigue language from thousands of years ago? I leaned in and heard her saying ‘YabbaDabbadabbadabba. Yabba Dabba Dabba.’ And every time since then, this is the exact thing she mutters. When we were visiting a church which is one of sites that many believe could possibly have been where Jesus carried the cross and was buried, we were all in an underground tomb. We stood in a rocky cave listening to our tour guide give the history and theological theories that many have about the site. It was then that she ripped the juiciest fart that has probably ever been in the thousand years the tomb has existed. I don’t have a point. Just that this woman speaks in tongues that sound like Fred from the Flintstones and also rips farts.
3. My mind and heart are racing, being torn in many different directions in response to all of the biblical history, political issues, personal spiritual changes, and cultural differences, (not only US vs Israeli, but among Judaism and Christianity and even the different denominations of Christianity itself). In fact, my shoulders feel burdened with the responsibility of interpreting all of these concepts and figuring out where I belong and what the truth is. what I do know is that Israel is a place that holds spirituality and religious value for most of the people who visit it. If nothing else, the value is in the questions that individuals are forced to face. Even if the individual doesnt need to think very hard to come up with an answer or is unable to answer at all.
4. I am disappointed that I have not eaten any tabouli. I did eat the best baba ghanouj I’ve ever had today at a Jewish Kibbutz.
5. There is a new Jewish movement going on where an older traditionally conservative rabbi is leading Jews to worship and praise through modern techno music. I didn’t believe it until a van stopped at a stop light in Jerusalem and two rabbis got out and began dancing to techno music being blasted from the top of their van. When the light changed, they got back into their van and drove away, music still blaring. I really need to learn more and download some music.
6. Western Wall- the western wall was not a spiritual experience for me at all. But it was definitely one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had. The wall is split into two sections- male and female. There is a wall dividing the two sections. There are ALL kinds of people visiting the wall. Many, many languages are spoken and many variations of Judaism are practiced. The western wall is the only standing wall of the temple that was destroyed thousands of years ago. Jews go to pray and put their prayers in cracks in the wall. I prayed for 6 personal requests from donors and my own personal prayers for friends and family. but my prayers felt forced and I was distracted. I had to fight my way just to reach the wall and be able to touch it. and when I touched the wall I didn’t feel any magical spark, or any divine feeling. I just felt like I was touching a wall and trying to pray even though one of our tour members was next to me weeping and shaking loudly. Then when you’re done praying, you’re not supposed to turn your back to the wall. Which means you have to walk backwards away from the wall. Think about the logistics of that. keep in mind there is a mob of people behind you and some of them are sitting in chairs. I only did it for a couple minutes and gave up and turned around and walked normally.
7. There are so many books I need to read. And so little time for reading on this trip. I didn’t read one page on the 10 hour trip I took here. and I brought 4 books to read and haven’t opened but 2 of them. and one of them was a guide book and the other was the bible.
8. I went into the grossest public bathroom I’ve ever been in. And I feel like there are a lot of gross ones on this trip. But the grosses had so many flies, and these Israeli flies are RUDE. They land on anything exposed, and are in the toilet. And then there were old ladies wearing babushkas washing their feet in the sinks.
9. At lunch the other day we were all eating falafel sandwiches and the lady next to me asked me to pass the ‘mayonaise’. With all my might I hid my indignation and said, ‘it’s not mayonnaise. It’s Tahini.’ ‘Whatever.’ She replied, ‘it’s the closest thing to mayonnaise I’m gon’ get around here.’ This same lady had another funny incident the day before. We were at an archaeological site and the tour guide didn’t want anyone to go in the gift shop yet because we’d lose track of the group. but this lady went into the shop anyways. Our tour guide Nola (who is amazing- a South African Jew who knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING) yelled at her ‘Please!! Can you please come over here, I promise you’ll have time to shop later.’ The lady pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. With her hands on her hips she said fiercely and with a strong southern accent, “I. NEEED. A. PRAYER. SHAWL.’
10. Animals I’ve seen on this trip: goats on a mountain, otters in the Jordan river, lizards by River Dan, donkeys and camels everywhere. (tomorrow i can ride a camel if I choose), lots of cats roaming around the mountains and deserts, rubbing their backs on our legs, a couple stray dogs, extremely large minnows also in the Jordan river, a few grazing cows…
11. Tomorrow i float in the dead sea and visit Masada
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