Ups and Downs

So, there was a good reason that this course required anyone over 50 to pass a physical. As promised, the field trips have required lots of strenuous hiking and stairclimbing.

Last Thursday, our group hiked to the top of Massada, Herod the Great's fortress palace near the Dead Sea. Massada also is the site where a group of Jewish Zealots held out against the Romans during the Great Revolt after Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD (as Jesus predicted--see Mark 13). When it was clear that the fortress was about to fall to the Romans, the rebels took their own lives and the lives of their families. Nine hundred sixty members of the community died rather than becoming Roman slaves.

Anyway, Massada rises 1485 feet above the Dead Sea and is 2145 feet long and 990 feet wide. The first picture shows part of our group making the trek to the top.

The second pic is from earlier today when we hiked and climbed down the Cliffs of Arbel. This is part of the panoramic view from the top. If you look in the foreground, you can see the highway that is our destination some 700 feet below. In the third pic, you can see a couple of our college guys using the handholds on the side of the cliff as they're descending.

Some of our hikes have been very challenging. At times I've wondered whether the payoff was going to be worth the effort. But, even when I'm not feeling well or I'm just plain tired, I don't want to give in to my feeling. Why? I don't want to miss out, and each time I've been please with the result.

Life is like that. It has a lot of ups and downs. Can you make your own application?

Pentecost

In Jerusalem today is the weekly Shabbat (sabbath). Therefore, in the Jewish sections of the city, everything is closed. However, the same was true yesterday, since Thursday was Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-21), and Pentecost is observed as a "special Sabbath."

It was not an accident that "on the day of Pentecost...there were God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:1,5). This "Feast of the Weeks" is still an enormously popular Jewish festival. From sundown on Wednesday through today, Jews of every shape and size have streamed into the Old City on their way to the Wailing Wall. You often can tell what nationality or sect a family belongs to by the hat that the man is wearing. For instance, the family at the right are Russian Jews (notice his unusual hat).

Not everyone goes to the wall as a family. Sometimes there is a group of teenage girls or boys or simply two men or women. What everyone has in common is they all are wearing their "Sabbath best." Why? Because, even though the Temple has been destroyed, they believe--as a sign near the wall says--that "the Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." So, for them, approaching the Wall is synonymous with approaching God, and they want to look their best for God.

I admire the devotion of these "God-fearers," but I believe that, after Jesus, God is found in a people, not in a place. Prior to Christ, God's people were instructed to go to the Temple at certain times of the year. After Christ's earthly sojourn, God's people are the Temple (I Cor. 3:16, 4:19-20)! Listen to the Apostle Paul's counsel: "Do not anyone judge you ... with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Col. 2:17).

I am glad that I do not need to wear the long, heavy coat of an Ultra-orthodox Jew to express my devotion to God. For one thing, it's hot enough here without that much fabric! And Jesus said that the focus of our hearts is what counts, not our external appearance (Mt. 23:25-28). However, our freedom in Christ can lead to a different danger. Do we too casually approach "God's throne of grace"? When we come to our worship services week by week--indeed, in our daily lives--are we aware that we should prepare ourselves internally? Do we recognize that worship itself is a sacrifice, not just a time of instruction or inspiration?

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:15-16).

What's Norm Doing?

Preaching, of course!

This is the preaching platform or "ambo" at the 4th Century church in Oboda (or Avdat, if you prefer).

We didn't have much time there, but, to quote Jeff Iorg: "There's no such thing as a bad short sermon."

Enough said!

In the Caves

There's a reason I've been incommunicado for a few days. We've been on a three day field trip. Allow me to give you a taste of one site we explored.

All of these pictures were taken in the Bet Guvrin-Maresha Park. Don't you like this first picture? I call it, "Beam me up, Scotty!" It was shot in one of the "Bell Caves." These caves were quarried out in a "bell shape" during the 7th to 10th Centuries A.D. Most are 40-50 feet deep, the deepest one 82 feet. In the second shot you can see the hole in the roof where the limestone blocks were raised and removed by means of ropes.

The last two pictures were taken in the Sidonian Burial Caves inside a family crypt where the original paintings have been restored. Harry Potter fans, do you recognize the first picture? The second pic shows three of our college students in front of the main burial niche. These caves are from the 3rd-2nd Century BC.

I love these caves. They provided a cool respite from the scorching sun.

Some people spend most of their lives hiding in their self-made caves. I understand this. Life can be tough. The sun--and circumstances--can be unrelenting. Caves are a good place for retreats (think about Elijah), but Christ calls his followers leave their caves, to seek and to save the lost, and to disciple people in his name. We all need our sanctuaries, our places of retreat, our caves, but we are aspiring to something much better. We're pilgrims on a holy journey to "Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" (Heb. 12:22). It is there that God "will wipe every tear from their eyes," and "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Rev. 21:4).

Don't become too enamored with your cave!

Tomb Raiders

We had a free afternoon on Monday. Tom, a pastor from Des Moines, and I hiked across the Hinnom Valley with the goal of finding the tomb of Herod's family. Although Herod was buried at the Herodium, his family was not. We were interested because this is one of the few intact 1st Century tombs in Israel. Especially unusual is the fact that this tomb has a large stone that was rolled across its entrance to keep out scavengers. In this picture, can you see the top of the stone to the left of the entry arch?

Allow me to make a suggestion: if you ever go "tomb exploring," take a flashlight. Since we expected this tomb to be sealed, we didn't. However, two pastors couldn't let a little darkness deter us, could we? So we climbed down the stairs, bent down to explore the first chamber, and got down as far as we had to--even on all fours--to grope our way through the other three chambers.

Another interesting thing about this tomb is that it--like most Jewish tombs of this era--was designed to be used by multiple people. After a body was fully-decayed, the bones were placed in an ostuary, and the tomb was ready for the next corpse(s).

There are two reasons our exploration was important to me. First, everything about this tomb corresponds well with what the New Testament reports about Jesus' death. It was good to see that with my own eyes.

Second, it reminded me that many people have been buried in a tomb like this. Only one came out alive. Isn't that reason enough to want to get to know him better?

New Friends at Church!

Today was the first "free day" of our course. I already had decided to attend Jerusalem Baptist Church. That's because it is a church I had read about and prayed for years ago. The "Baptist Center" is about a mile and a half from where I'm staying, and with the help of directions, I only got lost twice. The church has endured some hard time during the last three decades, so the English-speaking congregation is smaller than it once was, about 50 of us including guests from England, Switzerland, and Mozambique. Like many international congregations, they asked their guests to rise and tell something about themselves. When I told them that I was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Beaverton, a voice rang out, "I'm from Beaverton." Immediately, someone else said, "I'm from Beaverton too!" Afterward, I learned that another man was recently widowed and that his wife was from Beaverton. And--would you believe it?--another woman told me she had just moved to Israel from Hillsboro.

The short lady next to me is Sandy Wingate, who has taught English in Israel for 14 years. Her home church is Village Baptist. Don & Ruth Heberling are standing next to her. Their home church is Southwest Hills Baptist, and they're about to head back to the U.S. after a year's stint in Israel with Intel. They send their greetings to the Foleys!

The "lady in pink" is Haya Benhayim. She and her husband were the first messianic Jews to imigrate to Israel 48 years ago. Her book about their experiences is entitled Bound for the Promised Land.

In Christ there is no east or west; in him no north or south.
But one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

A Big Surprise

I thought our visit to the Herodium was something that I would endure rather than enjoy. I was wrong. It was fascinating!

At the time of Jesus' birth, Herod "the Great" was the King of Judea (but subservient to the Romans). He had the Herodium built from 24-15 BC in an isolated region southeast of Jerusalem. For Herod, it served both as a fortress and as a pleasure palace. Herod was a paranoid sociopath, so, if he thought there was a serious plot against him, he could withdraw to the highly defensible Herodium until he could destroy the conspirators. He had a "gift" for that. His brother-in-law, one of his wives and her mother, and at least three of sons were executed during his 34-year reign. Toward the end of his life, Herod issued orders that, at his death, leading citizens from throughout Judea would be executed. This would ensure that people would weep when he died!

I had seen pictures of the Herodium in Bible atlases. The pictures looked like my first picture -- a big pile of dirt -- vaguely interesting, but not compelling. Why would I want to make a hot and dusty 400 foot climb to the top of a big hill? Ah, but looks often are deceiving.

I found three things about the Herodium to be intriguing. First, on the way up the "big hill," we took a side trail that led us to Herod's tomb. Regretfully, my picture of it was poor, but here's what you should know about the tomb: it was discovered less than three years ago! The guide books haven't caught up yet. The new one I bought yesterday says: "According to written sources, after the death of Herod in Jericho in 4 BC, his body was entombed somewhere in this fortress. Until now, his remains have not been found."

Over the years, many historians had suggested that the 1st Century Jewish historian Josephus' claim that Herod was buried at the Herodium was questionable. Now there's no question. Similarly, many scholars claim that Herod's "slaughter of the innocents" at Bethlehem (Lk. 2:16-18) is made up. Why? Because it only is reported in Matthew's gospel -- not in Luke or in secular sources. I've always felt that the burden of proof should be on those who doubt the ancient records, not the other way around. The discovery of Herod's tomb lends support to this viewpoint. And, given the population of Bethlehem at the time this horrific incident occurred--perhaps 250-1000--it is likely that a only a few children were killed--probably less than ten. Of course, each of these children and their families was precious to God, but secular historians like Josephus likely were not concerned with the suffering of a few peasant families. And doesn't this sound exactly like something Herod would have done?

The second thing I found fascinating at the Herodium was that it contained a mikvah, a place for ritual Jewish cleansing. Herod's "Jewishness" was an issue for many of the Jews he governed. I can't interpret all the history for you, but Herod was an Idumean (or Edomite as they were called in the Bible). During the Hasmonean Jewish reign--a few years prior to Herod--the Idumeans were given the choice of obeying the Jewish law or of being expelled from their homes. Most of them chose to "become Jews," albeit half-heartedly. This was Herod's background. Because of this, Herod tried to curry favor with those he ruled. The main reason he is called "the Great" is because of his numerous building programs. The most important of these was the complete expansion and refurbishing of the 2nd Temple. Indeed, it often is called "Herod's temple." At one time he had 17,000 workers involved in the project, and the Temple of Jesus' day was more beautiful and grand as the result of Herod's efforts. The Herodium's mikvah reminded me that it was important to Herod and his court to appear Jewish, even while they engaged in a lavish and immoral lifestyle.

The third thing I found intriguing at the site illustrates this. Take a close look at the 3rd picture. Just to the right of the center, you can see a large rectangle with a bump in the middle. This was Herod's swimming pool! No joke -- I read that this pool was twice the size of a modern Olympic-size pool. The bump in the middle was a colossal fountain. Herod had a system of aquaducts built to bring in water from the mountains for the pool and Herodium. We also were among the first to see a theater that was recently discovered.

My observation about all of this is simple: Herod the Great thought he could be Jewish and hedonistic and brutal all at the same time. He probably said to himself, "I worked hard for all of this. I've earned the right to enjoy some luxury. I've served my people well -- I've expanded the Temple, and I've cut taxes. If anyone deserves a little pampering, it's me. And the killings? That's just politics. If you aren't willing to get cut up, you shouldn't step into the ring."

On the other hand, Jesus of Nazareth said we should love our enemies and turn the other cheek. He said if you love your life too much, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for his sake and the gospel's, you will save it.

Two lifestyles; one choice. Whose way will you choose?

The Wilderness

This was the first full day we spent in the field. Our circuitous route--south out of Jerusalem, west to the Sorek Valley and Beth-shemesh, north to Gezer, and then east on the Beth-horon Ridge Route, and eventually to Jericho.

However, even though we perused three significant archeological digs, for me the most impressive thing we saw was the "Wilderness." This is the area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. There is no way to adequately describe the depth of the "wadis"--the dry streambeds that permeate this region. To give you some idea, in less than 15 miles, we precipitously dropped from an elevation of 2900 ft. at Nebi Samwil to 700 ft. below sea level at Jericho (the lowest place on earth, I'm told).

There also is no way to describe the extreme desolation of this region. It is devoid of significant vegetation, and is, as the Bible says, a "desert" or "deserted place." Following his baptism, Jesus went into the Wilderness and endured 40 days of prayer, fasting, and temptation. The Bible says more than that, though. It says the Spirit "led" (Mt. 4:1) or "sent" (Mark 1:12) him into the desert.

One of my favorite poems begins: "Had I but gone forty days into the Wilderness..." Then it speculates about the difference such a sojourn might have made. Now that I've seen the Wilderness firsthand, I can tell you what would have happened -- I would have died. I feel certain I couldn't have survived the ordeal.

And maybe that's the point. Throughout Jesus' life, the physical suffering he experienced--even his crucifixion--was just the tip of the iceberg. His deepest suffering was spiritual, and in the Wilderness he wrestled with the issue of what of kind of Messiah he would permit himself to become. He had to die to himself in order to fulfill the will of his Father. And now he says we need to do the same. Will we? Will I?

The Temple Mount

I expected our visit to the Temple Mount to be one of the highlights of my visit to Israel. In many ways, though, I was disappointed. Let me explain why.

To enter the Temple Mount, we had to pass through a security station similar to an airport TSA screening. That's because this sacred "mountain" is one of the most explosive sites in all of Jerusalem. The Jewish temple of Jesus' day was torn down by the Romans in 70 AD -- just as Jesus prophesied. One of these pictures shows some of the stone rubble from the Temple. The Israelis have allowed the pile to remain as a reminder of this terrible event.

The "Wailing Wall" is the western side of the Temple Mount wall. Although it was not part of Temple itself, it pre-dates the time of Jesus. Religious Jews believe that God's presence still resides in the place of the Temple; therefore, the entire area is sacred. When I approached the Wall, an ultra-orthodox Jew engaged me in conversation, asked me my name, where I was from, the name of my wife and children, and then offered a prayer of blessing for us. I was touched by this . . . until he "requested" a donation from me. When I offered him five shekels--about a dollar--he rubbed his fingers together to indicate that folding money would be more appropriate. In the end, though, he reluctantly thanked me for my gift. After this happened, I noticed that ultra-orthodox Jews had stationed themselves across every point of access to the Wall, and it appeared that this was Standard Operating Procedure. Perhaps it is ungracious of me, but I was reminded of Jesus' angry encounter with the Temple's moneychangers and merchants. It also caused me to wonder how people with no church background experience the "offering" in our church. I would hate for them to have the same reaction that I had today.

Another aspect of my disappointment involved the Temple Mount where the Temple originally stood. The Mount is dominated by the Islamic Dome of the Rock and the El-aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is the 3rd most sacred site in Islam (after Medina and Mecca). It commemorates what probably was a dream or vision of Muhammad in which the Qu'ran says he went to the "distant place." Muslims have interpreted this to mean that he went to "heaven," and I suppose it would be similar to the Apostle Paul's experience (2 Cor. 12:1-4). I knew this ahead of time, but I was saddened that non-Muslims are no longer allowed entrance into these places of worship, that the entire area requires heavy security, and that I experienced no hint of God's "Divine Presence" in any part of the Temple precinct.

For me, the possibility of violence hangs over this area in a way that God's Presence is said to have hovered over the Temple prior to its destruction. After King Abdullah of Jordan began making some peace overtures to Israel in 1961, he was assasinated in the El-aksa Mosque. And there have been riots emanating from there in more recent years. Despite all of this, non-Muslims were allowed inside the Dome and the Mosque until 1989. In that year, an Australian "Christian" set fire to and destroyed a 12th Century pulpit in the Mosque. His goal was to destroy the entire mosque so the Jews could rebuild the Temple and so "Sweet Jesus"--his words--could return! On a different occasion, some orthodox Jews attempted to scale one of the walls of the Temple Mount in an effort to lay a foundation stone for the "New Temple." Given those incidents, it was logical for the Muslims to close these houses of worship to non-Muslims.

Again, though, we are confronted with the ongoing reality of violence done in the name of God. I wonder what Jesus would say to us. Perhaps something about turning our cheeks and loving our enemies?

A New Friend

As you can see, I'm still learning how to take a good "self-portrait." Despite my dorky look, I wanted you to meet my new friend, Milad. He works at Knight's Castle and has been a big help to me.

Milad is an Armenian-Palestinian. He originally said that his name means "Christmas" or "nativity," but later explained that it means "birth" in both Arabic and Hebrew.

I am fascinated by the similarity of these two languages and of the two faiths that are most closely associated with them. It is tragic that Isaac and Ishmael have never learned to co-exist, much less how to be "brothers" to each other. I suppose, though, that "family" feuds are the most acrimonious of all. Jerusalem is a wonder-filled city, but the bitterness of the Israel/Palestinian conflict is affecting the whole world, and it fills me with great sadness.

So, "pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels'" (Ps. 122:6-7). That verse is for Muslims and Christians, as well as for Jews.

Hezekiah's Tunnel

My head and heart are full from all the sights--and sites--we have experienced during the last two days. Today I enjoyed seeing the excavation around the Gihon Springs and wading through Hezekiah's tunnel. The tunnel was very narrow; sometimes I had to "duck walk," and in other instances I had to turn sideways to squeeze through this 1760 foot long tunnel. Can you see how high the water got by looking at the shorts of the hiker in front of me? One of the big "pay-offs" of this hike was the sign marking the discovery of the "Shiloah Inscription," written by those worked on the tunnel 2700 years ago!

After Hezekiah had the tunnel constructed (2 Kings 20:20), the water emptied into the Siloam Pool. Indeed, that's one of the reasons this site was so interesting. There are several biblical events that mention the Gihon Spring, Hezekiah's tunnel, and the Siloam Pool.

For instance, are you aware that Jerusalem was not always a Jewish city? Even after the Israelites began taking control of the Promised Land, the Jebusites retained control of Jerusalem. When King David decided to capture Jerusalem and make it the capital of all Israel, the Jebusites laughed at him. They thought the city was impregnable, so they sent the following message to David: "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off" (2 Sam. 5:6). Howevever, David had spotted a weakness in their defenses. A shaft from the city to the Spring allowed Jerusalem's residents to get water without having to go outside the city's walls. However, it was not well protected. David sent Joab and his men through this shaft (2 Chron. 4:6), and they ambushed their enemy. You might say that the Jebusites got "shafted"!

Some scholars have questioned the veracity of this account. However, not only did Hezekiah have the tunnel constructed, we now know that he built additional defenses to protect this important water source. The second picture shows recent excavation of the foundations of two towers built for this purpose.

But do you remember what happened beside the Siloam Pool (John 9)? Jesus put mud on the eyes of a blind man, and then instructed him to wash in the Siloam Pool. When he did what Jesus asked of him, he was healed. Again, the Jewish authorities were upset that the healing took place on the Sabbath Day, so they attacked the legitimacy of the healing and then tried to get the man to renounce Jesus. He said, "Once I was blind, but now I can see."

The arrogance of the Jebusites led to their downfall. The humility of the blind man led to his healing. One might get the idea that God has a preference. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's might hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (I Pet. 5:6).

Bethesda Pool

Our first day of the course, "Geographical and Historical Settings," began on time at 8 a.m. After our orientation, we had a two-hour lecture, paused for lunch, and then walked throughout the Old City for almost 5 hours. We will do more of the same for the next two days except we will begin at 7:30 a.m. The day was rich, full, and tiring.

One of my favorite stops was at the Bethesda Pool (see John 5). I had no idea it was so deep. The half circle on the righthand side of the picture shows one end of the original pool, and I took this picture from the path 40-50 feet above! The large stone pillars were columns in the Byzantine church that was built over the pool, but which was torn down at a later date.

In healing the crippled man at the side of this very pool, Jesus defied the tradition that said no "work" could be done on the Sabbath Day. Jesus believed another day should not pass without this man being able to walk.

What traditions are we willing to break so that crippled men and women can be physically and spiritually healed?

Knights' Castle

In Jerusalem, I'm staying at "Knights' Castle." I'm sceptical that this was a fort, but, on other hand, the "fortress" picture shows part of the property. I think this is part of the wall separating the "Old City" from the newer part of Jerusalem. In any case, I'll probably find out tomorrow when we take an extended walk in the Old City.

And don't you love the dining hall?!? I met several program participants tonight at dinner. They are from Hong Kong, Chicago, Seattle, and Alaska! I was glad that there are some other "oldsters" in the program. The man sitting next to me pastors a Presbyterian Church near Seattle, and he also is on a Lilly Endowment sabbatical. However, his sabbatical is for four months, and he spent the first couple of weeks in Nepal and Morocco! He is more ambitious than me!

I've already had my first Hebrew lesson. On the plane, I sat behind a young Jewish mother and her one-year old daughter, Aviv. She explained that Aviv means "spring"; therefore, Tel-Aviv means City of Spring.

I didn't get much sleep on the all-night flight, but I did watch "Valkyrie" with Tom Cruise as well as "The Express" (the Ernie Banks story). Both movies were excellent, and, especially so, since I love "true" stories. However, I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to turn in. I'll pray, and then turn over the night to "God's knights."

The Boathouse

Tom and I ate on the waterfront tonight, and we were joined by one of his friends, Carol. The view was great, and the food was scrumptious. Being the tenderhearted, unselfish person that I am, I wanted to share the experience with you.

Eat your heart out!

Lessons from Ellis Island

Yesterday Tom and I visited Ellis Island. I had never given much thought to what it was like for immigrants as they entered this country. After several months aboard a ship, the magical way in which Lady Liberty emerged from the water must have been both inspiring and exciting.

However, most of them did not know about the ordeal awaiting them at Ellis Island. As soon as the gangplank dropped, they were herded--that is, the steerage passengers, since most of the 1st and 2nd class passengers (the wealthier people) already had been interviewed aboard the ship--into a large assembly room with thousands of people talking and shouting in various languages. They then were separated from their luggage and sent through "medical exams." One of the standard exams required that the immigrant's eyelid be turned inside out with the use of a button hook! If they passed the medical exam, there was a mental health exam, and a "financial preparedness" exam, i.e. "Do you have $25 and a railroad ticket for your destination?" Failure or suspected fraud on any of the exams led to further questions, possible rejections, and/or appeals. Of the large number of immigrants who came to the U.S. through Ellis Island, only about 2% were refused admittance. However, during some of the peak years more than one million people were admitted, so as many as 20,000 were annually deported.

Can you imagine how terrified those immigrants must have been? Besides the general confusion, many of them came from small villages and had limited exposure to the outside world. For instance, in most of their cultures, it would have been extremely inappropriate for a man to have touched a woman, much less for her to receive a medical exam in which she was asked to unbutton her blouse and allow a stethoscope to be placed on her breast! Because of the obvious difficulties, a rule was made that a doctor could not examine a woman without a female attendant present. Two women doctors eventually were added to the staff. Still, the immigrants frequently did not understand why they were being asked certain questions or why they were asked to do certain things. You should have seen some of the mental exams. . .I'm not sure I would have passed -- no snide remarks, please!

Anyway, I wonder if we don't have a lot of "Sunday morning immigrants." The Cross is our Statue of Liberty, and people come searching for the freedom we have in Christ. But it is unfamiliar territory to them, since every church has its own customs and mores.

Attending two other churches last Sunday reminded me that we don't always speak the same language as newcomers. In some instances you long for friendliness and simple explanations. At other times, you don't want to be conspicuous; you would just rather "fit in." The point is this: we need to do everything possible to make our church "immigrant friendly." After all, didn't Jesus say we would be judged by how we deal with the strangers in our midst (Mt. 25:35-40)?

Lionizing Manhattan

I went into "the City" by myself today to attend an all-day conference at The Journey church. The conference was worthwhile, but my favorite part of the day was yet to come.

The Journey's office is a block past the theater district on W. 44th. I loved seeing what shows were showing at the various theaters, and then walking through Times Square to W. 42nd. New York has done a great job of cleaning up this part of the city, and I loved the neon lights, the energy, the restaurants, and the stores!

Then I walked down 42nd to the New York City Library, and another two blocks to Grand Central Station where I caught the Metro North train back to Ossining.

Incidentally, to enter the library you must pass between two enormous lions. Tom is convinced that the architect who planned this had a sense of humor -- you know, "reading between the lions"! And you thought my puns were bad.

Ground Zero

Tom and I visited Ground Zero today. He wanted you to know that his experience demonstrates that grieving can go on for many years. That, even when you think you're done grieving, you only may be fooling yourself. Seeing Ground Zero is sobering, but Tom had seen it before. Because of this, his freshly-felt grief ambushed him.

One picture shows the work that is taking place on the new Freedom Tower. The other picture is of a new sculpture outside Trinity Church, just a few blocks from Ground Zero. It shows a the stump of a tree that has been cut down. However, the roots are still there, and the tree still has life! The sculpture was done to show the damage of 9-11 but the promise that still exists. It reminded me of Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

A Surprise!

While we were catching our breath at the top of Croton Dam, a Hasidic Jew walked up to us. After giving me permission to photograph him, he explained that he is a teacher at a nearby school for boys. We were further astonished when a few minutes later we spotted the boys several hundred feet below us. They looked like sheep scattered across the green meadow. Again, I was reminded of the tremendous religious diversity of this area. Although these boys appeared well-"shepherded," I couldn't help but remember Jesus' concern for "sheep without a shepherd."

Italian Day

For "Italian Day" we began with a visit to the area's newest Catholic church, St. Augustine's. The outdoor Stations of the Cross were so vivid. I wish I could describe the deep feelings these traditional scenes evoked.

After our visit to the church, we hiked the beautiful Croton Aqueduct Trail, a 6-mile round trip. And what does that have to do with the local Italians? Simply this: the goal of the journey was the Croton Dam and Reservoir, and much of the work on the dam was done by Italian stone masons. In fact, Tom said one of the reasons many of the Catholic churches in the area are so beautifully constructed is because many of these same masons would give their weekends to work on the churches!

You can guess where we ate tonight, can't you? That's right. . .Safina's is a wonderful family-owned Italian restaurant. Mmmmmm...

West Point

On our way to the Buddhist monastery, we ate breakfast in Cold Spring, and then walked down to the waterfront. I was intrigued by this view of West Point. And, in the next picture, Tom is standing beside a Parrot Gun, a "rifled cannon." It was first used during the Civil War's Battle of Bull Run and played a decisive role in bringing that engagement to a conclusion. The gun was invented by a West Point grad, Robert Parrott, and was made at the West Point Foundry.