So I guess in some sense this will be the obligatory Easter post that I see popping up everywhere else in cyber-land. But I would hope that in some sense this will not be that typical ‘remember the death of Christ’ kind of post.
I was sitting here trying to work on a paper thats over due and looking forward to next week with a ton of stuff going on. And in the middle of this, out of the blue I got an email from one of my friends in Israel. She was all excited about just getting back from their Easter Weekend overnight trip, to walk around and back and forth through the city of Jerusalem tracing the many activities of the passion of Christ. And as she was talking about that, it dawned on me that only just a year ago that was me. One year ago I was so stinking tired plodding through the darkened streets of the city, reading passages by yellow street light or flashlight. Amazed at how much was going on in just one night, back and forth across the city several times. Collapsing finally in our sleeping bags on the roof of the Petra Hostel in the Old City really late that night. Then waking up at like 5.30am to clean up and head back across the city to the Garden Tomb for the sunrise service held there.
So much was going on in the city that day, it was after all Easter! So many people going every different direction, no one really paying much attention to anyone in particular, everyone in a rush to do their own thing. The various denominations hosting thier own services at different times. So there seemed to be these random parades of assorted pilgrims and preists and clergy every so often.
It made me wonder, if this is how busy this city is now, how crazy must it have been at Passover during the time of Christ. It sheds some light on why the trials were held at night, with so many people around at that time and secrecy being of the utmost importance and needing to be able to get around the city, nighttime was optimum.
The early morning is beautiful in Jerusalem, the sun coming up, the city still asleep, but the birds just beginning to sing. The shadows gradually pulling back from the alleys to expose nothing but paving stones. No one is up and in the streets this early. The buildings contrasting sharply with the shadows at thier feet. Fresh chilled air, from somewhere, flowing through the deserted streets.
This was Easter, much the same I would imagine as the real Easter. No fancy food, no dressed up formalities, no traditional this or that. But to walk Jerusalem, to be alone with ones thoughts, to be with the group of friends that is more like family then any other.
The weight of last year really hasnt hit me til today, but it is overpowering.