Handcuffing the Arms of Father Time
The time is currently 1:39am and I just recently finished my last final paper. It was enjoyable to write, I learned some, and I think it turned out alright. What kicks me though is this: in less that 24hrs I will be on my way home. I vividly remember my first encounters here in Israel. I used to stop and be in wonder and amazement that I had shekels in my pocket. Now, I have the same feelings and thoughts as I consider the reality of how soon I have to leave.

I’m nervous, scared, and excited to come home. A lot of different feelings are being pumped through my veins.

Nervous because I am scared…

Scared because of what might or might not happen when I return…

And excited because soon the questions will be met with answers…

I’ve been in Israel for over three months now. I’ve seen, experienced, and learned quite a lot. New thoughts have been given to me as well as new confrontations. Victories have occurs as well as defeats.

What am I’m going to say to people?

How can I adequately relate what I have been through?

What are their reactions going to be?

What is my life going to look like in the not too distant future and is this going to bring me joy or sadness?

The answers to some of these questions are about to be discovered. For I have realized that they are only time, an ocean, and a conversation away…

Me, my sister, the Canadians, and a hole in the city wall that lead to...

Beauty and the Beast (a rather handsome Beast I might add)
So, my big little sister came to visit me over Thanksgiving and we had a good time. Hands down it was the best Thanksgiving I have experienced yet. We had amazing food, lots of laughs, and good friends to share it all with. Here are a couple of the experiences he shared together during Alicia’s trip to the Middle East.

Scary Suits
Towards the end of Alicia’s trip we rented a car and headed up to the Galilee and needless to say we had a couple of interesting experiences. We got up to the Sea of Galilee and decided that we wanted to take a little swim. We stopped at three different spots and they were progressively sketch.

The first one was down a gravel road and was simply a dirty beach and no one was swimming. An elder couple was eating and several kids were riding their bikes around, so we decided to move on.

We made our way on to site number two. Thinking back on it, I’m surprised I didn’t wake up in a bathtub full of ice cold water with one of my kidneys missing. This place was something out a horror flick. It was at this hotel and there was no one there. There was stuff all over the place though, such as a baby stroller, drinks, and chairs. It looked like there was a party and everyone disappeared. There was a pool, but no water in it and a couple of really big dogs barking at us. Alicia and I just looked at each other and decided to jet.

The final site showed signs of better days with a rusty ferris wheel and the remnants of a staff full of misfit carnies. We asked how much to use the beach and they said 50 shekels so we replied, “see you later.”

We gave up on swimming.

Pounds vs. Gravity
That night we camped out on the Cliffs of Arbel. By the time camp was set up the sun was getting rather low. So, I wanted to gather some firewood for a little fire, but there were only a couple of trees and they were on the cliffs edge. I climbed on down and got some wood and on my way back up I needed to use both hands to continue climbing. So, I yelled for my sis so that she would grab the wood and she eventually found me. However, instead of helping me with the wood she reprimanded me. She said she was calling for me earlier, but I didn’t hear her. She asked me if I was alright and I replied that of course I was. She thought I was hurt because I didn’t reply to her calling and she said, “I was trying to figure out how I could pull your dead lifeless body up this cliff.” Now that’s love.

Finale
Alicia and I went to the Galilee and camped and hiked on the Cliffs of Arbel, chilled at Elijah’s cave, and saw a beautifully landscaped Bahai temple. In Jerusalem we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Western Wall, and what kind of brother would I be if we didn’t go visit a hole with the Canadians (pictures soon to follow).

Bragging Rights
My sister and I are similar in a couple of ways. Hair and eye color (some people say we look alike but they lie). We both have very strong personalities and can be rather bull headed at times. However, my sister and I are different in ways as well. I’m a lot bigger than she is and she’s a lot better looking than I am (any guys reading this and are interested in my sis better be bigger than me…just an fyi). I’m athletic and she’s a genius. Alicia is much more of a stronger person than I am and I have a lot of respect for her because of this and for many other reasons.

My sister challenges me and pushes me for my own good. I NEVER would be here in Israel if it wasn’t for her pushing me to do a semester abroad. The finances and class schedule I didn’t think would come together, but they have. I didn’t think or care to check into it but I did because of her. My time here in Jerusalem has been the greatest opportunity and experience of my life. It never would have happened if it wasn’t for Alicia.

She has taught me the meaning of family. As I said earlier, she doesn’t have any money because she works for a non profit, but she scrapped what she did have together and came to visit her baby brother. That act holds a lot of significance and love in my eyes.

Alicia challenges my thoughts on politics, religion, and theology. She opens my mind and eyes to new thoughts, ideas, and views. We disagree sometimes, but I’m glad she challenges me.

She corrects me on my dinner manners, which really annoys me, but I know it’s for my own good. Take smaller bites. Chew with your mouth closed. Blow your nose don’t snort it up. Wear a black belt not brown. The list continues.

It was nice to have my big little sister come over to visit, but its better knowing that I have a sister that loves me, wants the best for me, and will always be there to challenge and encourage me.

Israel and so much more vol. 4 (sister edition)
several thousand words from my sis' camera...

A Big Fat TurkeyThanksgiving is coming up this Friday. What a beautiful opportunity to spend time with our families that we love and be thankful for all that God has blessed us with. Well, that’s ideally what should happen. Another thing to think about this holiday weekend. I got an interesting email recently that shares some startling facts. The email read that if 20 people sit down at your table, representing the world's population, three would get a gourmet meal, five would get rice and beans, and 12 would receive a small portion of rice. The issue isn’t lack of food it’s an issue with distribution.

Check out: www.one.org

Anyway, the whole reason I started writing was to say that in the next hour and a half I’m leaving for Tel Aviv to go pick my sis up from the airport. This digression simply spilled out. She’s coming to visit, see the land, and to hang out over the holiday. She’s leaving on Monday, but it should give us enough time to go visit some stellar sites. I’m thinking about…

Giving her a tour of the city…

Snorkeling in Eilat…

Hiking in Qumran…

Swinging by the Dead Sea…

and hiking at En Gedi…

Should be a good time and I’m really stoked about her visiting. We have a lot to talk about and share with each other. I really value that she’s coming for a lot of reasons, but one especially…

My sister graduated from APU in 2003 basically paying for college on her own. After graduation, she spent 2.5 years in Togo, West Africa with the Peace Corps and now she is working for a non-profit organization called Illinois Citizens for Better Care. Needless to say my sister is an absolutely amazing person. Due to the call on her life she has no money and it doesn’t seem to bother her.

She values and loves her little brother so much that she scrapped what little money she had to fly to Israel to spend the holiday with me. I wouldn’t even be in this country if it wasn’t for my sister’s influence.

I think my little big sister is an amazing person and I’m completely stoked about being able to spend the holiday with her…

Jordan
As I wrote early I recently spent four days in the country of Jordan. The trip in general was somewhat of a shoulder shrug for me. I didn’t find a whole lot to be that interesting or exciting, but there were a couple of things that did enthrall me.

Ramoth-gilead
I’m sure this site had some historical/biblical significance to it, but I was a little distracted. As I wrote a couple of posts ago I want to build a bow. Well, my buddy Benaiah found a 30 lb flint stone for the arrowheads. I ended up digging it up with my hands and hauled it around from bus to hotel to bus to hotel to bus to hotel to bus to border checkpoint to bus to my room. This find was the highlight of my day because how cool is flint!?!

Body of a Greek God
Day two of the trip we visited the city of Ramon. We went to other places but this was the only one that was any fun. At this site were the remains of a Herculean Temple with these monstrously huge columns. The enormity of them blew me away. Also, there was a nice little museum that had some cool artifacts.

Petra
So, remember in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indy ends up finding the Holy Grail in a palace type structure that is carved into the face of a cliff? Yea, that’s Petra and it was by far the most stellar place in all of Jordan that I visited. When we got to the path that leads into the ancient city, I booked ahead of our group because I was so excited. Ever so conveniently my batteries in my camera died right before I got to the Treasury. So, any pictures you see of that are from some of the other students here. I looked at the Treasury for about 30 seconds and then said to myself, “I’ll be back to see this later today,” so I continued to blaze a trail. I found that there was another structure somewhat similar to this one called the Monastery. It was about an hour long hike up a trail, through this mountain, which lead me to my destination. I looked at the Monastery for a little while and then opposite the Monastery I saw a large rock hill with a tall standing stone structure on top of it. When I saw those standing stones on top of that hill the first thought in my head was not the following:

“I wonder why the person(s) built the standing stones…”

“I wonder what they were commemorating as they built this…”

“How long ago was the structure built…?”

“How long did it take this person(s) to build this standing stone…?”

The only thought that was going through my head is the following:

“I have to go up there and build a bigger one…”

I wonder why that is?

What about my heart, character, ego, psyche, or DNA caused me to think in this manner?

Whatever it was I ended up spending the next three hours building a bigger, taller, better standing stone. From the time I arrived at that site until I left I carried stones, piled them up, and built higher and higher. That’s all I did and I had a blast. I felt like such a man grunting, hauling large rocks, and constructing. I spend three hours doing this and it was fantastic.

As I placed the final stone on top I then began to talk to GOD. I told Him that I wanted this to commemorate the life that He has called me to live. However, now as I sit and write this I wonder if I built it to pat myself on the back. I carved my initials, a cross, and YHWH in Hebrew, so maybe it was for mixed reasons.

I do not know…

Misc
After I was done playing with the Flintstone legos I made my way back to grab some lunch. On the way, I had some tea with a nice Nabatean girl and bought an overpriced camel bone box. I don’t know how profitable this type of business really is. At this girls store I ended up in a conversation with a British man, who has been living in Israel, concerning the absolute existence of GOD. Random.

Stupid Human Pet Tricks
On our last day in Jordan I was sitting at breakfast in between Meredith and Benaiah with a couple of elder Canadians across from me. I was eating my light breakfast when Benaiah made a statement. He said that he could blow an egg clean out of its shell. The Canadian across stated his disbelief, but I, yes I, had faith in the jungle native man named Benaiah. After a few moments of preparation the egg was ready for launch. Benaiah put his lips to end of the egg and out shot the hard boiled egg. I never saw that before and I found it to be impressive. So, I got a couple of eggs and Benaiah taught me a new trick. Oh joy.

End
Jordan in general was alright, but there were some major highlights in this prolonged textbook of a trip. I rode another camel, climbed some rocks, and saw a couple of stellar sites. Petra was by far the main event, so I’d definitely encourage people to go there. It was a good time and my last Field Study. So, the trip as a whole was a bittersweet symphony…

(pictures of this trip can be found below)

Israel and so much more vol.3 (jordan edition)

“No soup for you!”…well thank God
Here at JUC we have two cooks. One serves lunch and the other dinner. Lunch is always…interesting. We all know what I mean by that. Each day before I waste my time climbing the stairs into the kitchen to get my food, I look into the dinning hall to see what’s to eat and to get peoples reaction to it. Today I continued that trend. The main course was pita, fried cauliflower, fried eggplant, and fried peppers. I passed. But, then I noticed that there was soup. So, I asked how it was and here are some of the replies/conversations I heard concerning it…
__________________
“I think it’s a little…grainy”
-Joel
“It tastes like a burrito.”
-Jesse
“I don’t think so.”
-Ben
“So what do you think it tastes like then?”
-me
“I…I don’t know”
-Ben
_________________
“How’s the soup?”
-me
“It’s…it’s interesting”
-Jess
“Look what happens when you let it settle and then pull up what's from the bottom…”
-Hannah
“…gaaag…”
-me
________________
“If you want to get the full experience, taste the stuff that settles on the bottom. I heard it was ground up chickpeas…but I think its cornmeal.”
-Emilee
“It tastes like the remnants of potato soup.”
-Jeremy (The Canadian)
________________
"It tastes like pureed beans."
-Benito
“It tastes like a combination of pea soup, oatmeal, and cinnamon.”
-Johnny
“When I leave my spoon in the soup for a little while and then try to pull it out…I can feel the resistance.”
-Li
________________

Taking all of this into consideration, I ended up having two apples and a PB and J sandwich…

Sore Eyes
I just got back from Jordan and had some interesting experiences. There will be a couple stories and photographs to come in the not so distant future, but here are some random shots of the trip…

Back to the Future
Tomorrow morning at the bright and early hour of 6am I am leaving on my last Field Study trip here at JUC. We will be traveling throughout the country of Jordan studying the geography and Biblical significance of the land. I know we are stopping at Petra for a spell, which I’m absolutely stoked about. This trip might also contain another camel ride, some stellar cliffs, and maybe a newly fabricated instrument of self destruction (see previous post, Evolution 10-24-06). We had our last Physical Settings class on Thursday. While in that class I began to think of some other final events that are in the not so distant future in my life.

Only 4 more weeks here at JUC

Only 1 more semester before college graduation

I can’t get beyond that last one. I have no idea what is going to happen after graduation. My Pops would say, “I know what you’re gunna be doin, you’re gunna get a job so you can pay for my Social Security.”

Oh, I have ideas of what I’d like to do. It’s just a matter of finding someone who will pay me to do it…

Colored Stones (Part II)
The Beit Jala game was very entertaining. It was Jerusalem High School vs. Bethlehem High School. The epic match of David and Goliath was reenacted on that court today. However, there was somewhat of an unexpected Gnostic ending to this tale. I arrived at the school where the game was going to take place and the hearts of the Palestinians were already dismal before the game ever began. The Bethlehem students told me time and time again about how their proverbial mulls were about to get kicked. I had a hard time believing how pessimistic they were. Even the principle predicted the defeat.

The game started and I looked around the bleacherless gym to see that no parents had come to support their children. I asked the principle about this and she said that a parentless audience was the standard. However, there were several Bethlehem students who came to support their team. In the 1st quarter Bethlehem was ahead by 16 points and their attitudes quickly changed. They lost focus, started showboating, and were getting mouthy. Jerusalem quickly came back and towards the end of the game took a 4 point lead. Bethlehem pulled it out in the end with a 53-50 win. In this tale, the Palestinians won the battle.

It was a good game.

No stones thrown.

Which was somewhat disappointed…

Colored Stones
I’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at a school in Beit Jala which is in Bethlehem. I’ve been volunteering there for 7 weeks now and every week is better than the last. The West Bank can be a little intense at times. Israel is very modern. I haven’t experienced the slightest form of culture shock since I’ve been here. However, it took me several visits to get used to the culture, environment, and social norms of the West Bank.

I volunteer at a school that has students from elementary thru high school age. I do conversational English with a 10 year old boy named Johnny. The kid is absolutely adorable and he’s really bright. I help him out with his homework reading and then I’ll have a game that we’ll play that will require him to describe, direct, or explain something. We have a lot of fun and he’s really starting to grow on me.

Also, I play basketball with some of the high school students at the school. My skills in the sport are somewhat lacking, but being a Hoosier puts me on par with the guys I’m playing with. Yesterday, when I was at the school, one of the high school students invited me to his game on Friday. So, the principle of the school is going to pick me up at JUC tomorrow and we are going to watch the game together along with some of the other students.

I’m really stoked about being invited and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to spend some time with him, the students, and the principle. It should be an eventful time. These Palestinian kids have minimal fundamentals when it comes to basketball, so it should be entertaining. I wonder if the fans throw stones at the referee instead of off colored phrases of disapproval? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see…

Say Hello to My Little Friends (Part II)
Do you ever feel unappreciated, unwanted, or unloved? On occasion, I used to until I came to Israel. Here I know that every night there are oh so many little critters that rely on me for sustenance, warmth, and protection. I washed my sheets and changed mattresses, but the little guys just won’t go away. This morning I woke up with seven new insect bites that swell bigger and bigger as the day goes on. These bites are a constant reminder that I am loved by the insect community. So, every night as I enter into a state of slumber, I can fall asleep with the warming of my heart, knowing that I am treasured and needed. Then in the morning I can look for their mark of appreciation that only grows as the day continues…

Han Solo
I just now realized something. I’m single. Now, I’m not talking marital status single, I’m talking SINGLE. I’m not engaged, I don’t have a girlfriend, I’m not even dating anyone. In fact, I’ve never been so single in my life. Usually, I at least have a girl that I’m flirting with or a crush or at least some sort of prospect, but now I’ve got nothing. All interests have been painted out of the scenery.

My two best friends in the whole entire world are Brad and Justin. Justin got married in May and Brad’s getting married in December. In all honesty I’m completely stoked for them. Other friends of mine? I got this buddy David, he’s got a girlfriend who he’s serious with. I got a buddy Adam, but he’s like America’s #1 Most Eligible Bachelor, so it won’t be long for him. But me? Oh, I’m as single as it gets…

Someone might say, “Well, Chad I’m sure there are plenty of quality ladies at Bethel.” To that I would reply with the following quote that was spoken to me by none other than my friend Jeff. He said, “Chad, Bethel girls are kinda like a parking lot, all the good ones are taken and the rest…well, they’re handicapped.”

I’m not saying I wish I was with anybody, I’m just stating the obvious…

Say Hello to My Little Friends
Ever since my first night in Jerusalem, insects have found it rather convenient to visit me as if I was Ponderosa. At first, it was just a bite here and there, a couple on the ankle, a couple on the foot, a couple on the arm, no big deal. Well, the rainy season is just around the corner and the early rains have started. Meaning that the temperature has dropped about 20 degrees and cold rains are beginning to come rather frequently. So, it’s cold outside and all of the critters that are usually star gazing are now looking for a nice warm place to set up camp, mainly my bed. I never see them, put they leave their mark nonetheless, which I find every morning somewhere on my body. I think they might be ants. I squished something the other night that felt like an ant.

It has been getting bad enough that the past couple of nights I’ve been sleeping fully clothed. Complete with jeans, sweatshirt, and socks. Last night I even put rubber bands over the ends of my jeans so that bugs couldn’t creep up. I don’t know if my strategy has been working yet because I have so many bug bites on me I can’t tell if there are any new ones. So, I’ll continue this for a couple more nights to see how things pan out. Once again, as I sit back and think about the situation,

I realize it’s just another day in the Middle East…

When I See It
Mom-
I am the mature and dignified age of 22 (4.5 Leap Year baby). I know the time of infancy, elementary, and high school years simply flew by for you. Can you believe that in just over 6 months I’ll be graduating from college? You have weaned me, toilet trained me, and informed me of the winged animals of the air and their relationship to the insects who make honey. I am sure that it feels as if it was just yesterday that I was learning to ride a bike, figuring out how to tie my shoe, and playing t-ball. During the first 19 years of my life I was for the most part close to home and you would see me all the time. Now, since I’ve been in college, I’m gone more than I am at home, especially now that I am studying in Israel. Over the years, there have been some things that have not changed, such as my never ending energy, my ability to do amazingly stupid things and not get seriously injured, and my love for fried chicken.

But, there are many things that have changed. I began to drive, I grew taller than you, I got a job, I started reading because I wanted to, I started doing my own laundry, and I began to schedule my own haircut appointments just to name a few. Years ago you used to cradle me in your arms and we both know that by no stretch of the imagination would that ever be possible today (regardless of how much rice I eat here).

So, since you have been there for me my whole entire life and have seen so many new changes in my life I wanted you to be aware of the most recent. It took 22 years to get to this point in my life, for me to be able to accomplish what I am about to present. All forms of maturation and growth have finally built up to this, so that I could finally accomplish this magnificent act…

With all of that said, mom I am proud to tell you the following…

I started making my bed…

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
A few of the many things I adore about Jerusalem
The context that I’m in
Reading a story in the Bible and being in the same valley, hill, mountain, river, city, sea, or plain that the story occurred in.

The mountains
Whenever I go hiking on a mountain here I always feel like I’m in Lord of the Rings. Often there are steep cliffs, deep wadis, and very unique stairs.

The amazing hiking trails
The parks here have trails through springs, waterfalls, mountains that take me through a land that makes me realize that I’m not in Kansas anymore.

Rabbi Moshe
My professor for my Rabbinical Thought and Literature. I have learned so much from this man about Jewish thought, the Torah, Midrash, and about God in and outside of class.

Moshe and Dov
Any question I have about Jewish theology these guys will gladly answer. Plus their passion and love for God challenges and encourages me. Check out there website for any of your Israeli needs www.shorashim.com

The Sea of Galilee
There is such an amazing presence at this place. Some of my favorite Bible stories happened here.

The Hebrew Language
It is so much fun to read, speak, and listen to.

Shabbat Dinners
Every Friday night we all get dressed up and sit down to a wonderful meal together. The ladies light candles, Dr. Wright gives a blessing, we sing Hebrew songs, have amazing bread, and just chat it up.

Raed’s cooking
If it wasn’t for this man’s dinners I would be a mental and physical wreck. It's always so nice to know that every evening I'm going to have a nice, hot, delicious meal.

Shekels in my pocket
Whenever I stick my hands in my pocket and feel shekels, I am taken back with the realization of where I’m at.

The variation of the topography
In Indiana we have corn, flat land, and corn. It’s not bad, but it is nice to being able to see hills, valleys, mountains, canyons, wadis, plains, seas, and rivers.

Playing baseball in hell
I lived right beside the Hinnom Valley which is what Jesus is referring to in the New Testament when He speaks of hell. So, whenever I play baseball, frisbee, or just walk by it I stand amazed of the significance of where I’m at.

Being able to let my heart run wild
There are so many fun holes, tombs, and caves to crawl around in here. Often when I am on a Crusader wall I’ll pretend I’m a solider and shoot at the enemy with my imaginary bow and arrow. Also, there are so many trees, columns, and structures to climb here.

Evolution
So, the other day I was at Caesarea Philippi and was doing a little hiking down this trail with a bunch of other undergrad students. We were just beginning our hike and of course I needed a walking stick, for every good hike begins with a walking stick. At that moment all I could find was a four foot piece of bamboo that was about an inch thick or so. I continued my walk, borrowed my buddy Benaiah’s knife and turned it into a nice little spear. I ended up carrying the spear between by back and my backpack, but it ended up snapping when the top of it got snagged on a tree. Bummed as I was, I kept the pointed part hoping that I would soon find a use. Continuing the journey, I then found a thick patch of bamboo and broke off a seven foot tall two inch thick piece. I of course sharpened the end which then gave me a really nice spear. Then I combined this new spear with the previous broken piece and thus I created a big spear with a removable, yet durable, pointed attachment.
A little while later we arrived at this magnificent waterfall, so I took a couple of pictures and then climbed on the river via some very large and conveniently placed rocks. I tried my luck (poor as it was) at spear fishing. I saw some fish and that was about as close as I got to spearing anything. We left the river and headed to our bus. Right before we got to the bus, I picked up another little piece of bamboo that fit inside of my original little spear which snapped. I hallowed out the larger longer piece and sharpened the end of the smaller. When combined, I had a nice little blowgun. Benaiah gave me some of his frayed jeans which I stuffed into the rear of the dart to create a better seal thus giving the dart greater propulsion when I blew it. I sneaked up on a couple of people and shot at them with it pretending I was some great white hunter. The dart didn’t hurt in the slightest, for the dart was too dull and the dart too light, but it was fun none the less.

Then as the blowgun continued to evolve, I of course then ended up hurting myself…

Benaiah and I put our heads together and we decided that we needed to find a cactus needle or a long thorn to place at the end of the dart. So, as we continue along, we looked and looked and looked. It was at Capernaum that I finally found a nice cactus needle just the right length. I also found some sort of moldable foam weed that I stuffed inside of the dart to give it more weight and then placed the cactus needle at the end. I put this all together on the bus and then we stopped for a bathroom break.

The blowgun and dart were complete. My design, fabrication, and trial and error process all drew to this final moment. Now, all I had to do was test it.

but on what…?

I looked around the bus to see what I could shoot in order to establish how accurate it was, but what I really wanted to know was how much it hurt. So, I stuck out my palm a little under a foot away from the end, and gave it a nice firm blow.

and as one would imagine it hurt…

I was rather proud of myself. I created a nice little weapon out of bamboo, cactus needle, weed, and some jean. I suppose all those lunch hours watching MacGyver really paid off. However, in all of my glory and excitement…

there was a problem…

I had a bamboo dart with a cactus needle stuck in my hand. Originally, I thought that the dart only entered into the callus part of my hand, but soon my thoughts were corrected. I then found Benaiah and showed him our accomplishment…which was a dart dangling from my hand. He expressed his excitement and then I proceeded to remove the dart…but it wasn’t coming out as easily as what I thought it would have. I then looked at Benaiah and said,

“Dude, I think it’s in there kinda deep.”

He replied, “Just give it a big ol tug.”

So, I pulled a little harder, but the skin around the dart pulled up with it and my ring finger moved forward.

I looked at Benaiah and said,

“Bro, it’s in there deep.”

“Just jerk it out” he said.

So, I latched on to the dart and jerked it out with all my might…

And it was a gusher to say the least…

Love in All the Wrong Places
This past Friday I had the opportunity to visit a synagogue for the first time of my life. It wasn’t as Orthodox as what I might have liked, but it was Jewish through and through. The invitation was given to the college by Rabbi Moshe who teaches my Rabbinical Thought and Literature class. This is his home synagogue along with another professor from JUC. We arrived at the synagogue a little before 5pm and entered into a rectangular room which initially appeared that only ¾ of the room would be used. In the front of the synagogue there was a large and elegant cabinet with a curtain hiding its contents. There were white plastic chairs along the perimeter of the room in three sections. One on each side, then another towards the back that faced the cabinet and seemed to section off the last ¼ of the room which was nothing but open space.

The service began with a welcoming to all of the JUC students and was followed by singing Psalms and Jewish prayers in Hebrew for the next half hour or so. I adore listening to songs in Hebrew. Whenever I pray at the Western Wall I always end up flocking towards the Rabbi singing the Hebrew Scrolls. The beauty of it is moving and refreshing to me. After the singing was over everyone in the room started stacking all of the chairs and I raised an eyebrow in wonder of what was going to happen next.

It just so happened that this particular Shabbat was the Celebration of the Scrolls, which consisted of praising and singing to GOD for His giving of the Hebrew Bible. Synagogues all over the world are on the same basic calendar. The Torah readings for the week and the holidays are all practiced at the same time in every synagogue. After the chairs were moved we all stood and faced the cabinet in the front of the room. Then some men from the congregation opened the curtain and pulled out the scrolls.

That is when things really started hopping…

For the next two and a half hours the congregation danced in the unused ¼ of the room singing and praising GOD. They danced around in a circle, often having a circle inside of another rotating in separate directions with the scrolls in the center. There were seven “rounds” of dancing with the last round taking place outside. In between each round, was a little breathing break which consisted of a member of the synagogue praying underneath a prayer shawl.

Well, as it appeared the planets must have aligned and there must have been just enough Jewishness in the air, for my Caucasian Gentile self busted out a couple of Jewish jigs. It was during the second round that Rabbi Moshe grabbed and pulled me into the rotating dancing circle. Generally I do everything within my being to get out of having to dance. I can’t stand it. I only dance in front of the bathroom mirror with the door shut and locked. Even then I feel embarrassed and look around to see if someone is watching. However, who can resist Rabbi Moshe who is a direct descendant of Aaron?

The happiness and joy of the people filled the room and when I joined in I couldn’t get the smile off of my face. By the end of the service my face was sore from smiling so much. I joined in on my own free will during the seventh round. After the dancing was complete we entered the synagogue and the Rabbi read a section of the scriptures from the scrolls.

It was an experience that was completely new to me…

Which is sad when you think about it…

Why don’t we do this at my church at home? The general consensus of the "christian church", from my understanding, is this: our beliefs are right and is what is true; if you believe anything different than what we do then you are wrong and believe in lies. I find it remarkable that a church that is “right” and “true” often appears to be dull and complacent. And that a religious group that is often labeled “religious” and “legalistic” has more passion and love for GOD than what I have ever seen in the members of a “right” church.

Interesting isn’t it…?

Israel and so much more vol.2 (egypt edition)

Get Your Own! View Slideshow