Israel Day 15
Location: Jerusalem Passion Walk
Time: 6:40pm
Today we took the Passion Walk.
Something interesting about passion is that you cannot engage in it and remain the same. To walk the very path that Jesus took gives you a snapshot into the distress of the disciples at His Gethsemane prayer, the weariness of their sorrow, Jesus’ cry, “Abba, Father” while sweating beads of blood. How can you engage and remain the same?
We began by reading the 4 different acccounts of the Passion Walk through the eyes of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Passover feast, the bread, the wine, the lamb reclining at the table surrounded by the few, the intimate. There was tension. A traitor in the midst. One who had walked, experienced, was still with them. Jesus took the cup, the sacred cup of purpose and drank. He took the still whole bread, soon to be broken and dipped.
From there we put feet to words and began the descent from The Mount of Olives through the bustling streets of Jerusalem and into the Preatorium. “Crucify Him, crucify Him” the walls were crying. Beaten, weary, hot, committed, Christ was nailed, bleeding, to the cross he was burdened to carry. This was not a cross on a hill far away. It was street level, raised to just a few inches taller than the one being crucified, outside the city walls, close to the action so as to warn those passing by, “this should never be you”.
The suffering Father, seeing His Son nailed, must have turned away in agony. This was the purpose but His only Son? Since there was no other way, the choice was simple. Not easy but essential.
And so the age old questions remain. What will you do with this Jesus? You have seen Him. You have tasted His Passion. You can imagine the setting. And so, what remains? Gratitude. Yes. And a commitment to be different. To carry the story within, to live the story without. Our destination may be Heaven but God’s Kingdom is being built on earth.
This was written by a fellow youth-worker on the trip. I thought it conveyed todays event perfectly.
Tomorrow I fly out to Seattle to join my wife and daughter for a vacation. What an incredible experience this has been! Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!
Shalom,
Dubbs
Dubbs
