The conflicts surrounding religion are numerous. Not only Jews, Arabs and Christians consider Jerusalem holy. There are the Kabbalists and even Freemasons, among others, who revere this place as being very special indeed. Under the streets, in both the old city and the new, lie piles of ruin and rubble which cover the ground several feet above the level where Jesus would have walked. People are told this, but it doesn't seem to matter. It is the atmosphere of the Holy Land which captures one's heart. A sense of nearness to heaven, yet still touching the earth, like being a part of a glorious sunset or sunrise where it is easy to imagine heaven's choirs singing and rejoicing.
So when you are here, your focus can be either on the heavenly or the earthly. Both have a wealth of experience to fill your senses, and some seem to go into overload even when only visiting for a short while. Some who live here seem beaten down by the daily pressure, others have full hearts to serve and can get over-used after some time, if they don't wisely pace themselves. Israelis who live here simply go about the business of their lives, for the most part. They are not really thinking about all the history and significance of their surroundings.
But all have been touched deep in their hearts by this place. Israel's jewel is Jerusalem. It's not the prettiest place, and certainly not the most serene. There is a constant clash of cultures. There are people from all over the world who reside here. Residents are accustomed to the dangers close by and with the unusually high level of daily hassles. All joke about how difficult it is to live here, yet they wouldn't willingly move.
What is the drawing inside for those who love this place? It can only be described as something beyond ourselves. It cannot be defined in scientific terms as a physical or even tangible desiring. It is more to be compared to the tugging of heart strings. Like a place where you have your fondest memories of your favorite seasons of life. Yet it you may have never been here before. It could be described as in a family of fishermen who love fishing, it is in their "bones" to get up at 4am to go out in the cold mist after those fish. It doesn't matter that they usually let them go, and spend many hours and money on their equipment and the preparation for their few hours on the lake. It is like a genetic thing passed on from generation to generation, sometimes caught by friends and others that get close enough to check it out.
Obviously if you were born in Israel, or you are Jewish, it is easy to explain the longing for this land. Then there are those like myself who have spent enough time in the Bible to have been captured in their hearts to long for the place which the Lord longs for Himself. From the Tanach (Old Testament) to the New Testament- the pages contain God's love for this land and its people, and all those who would have a heart after God's.
So here I am, a gentile (non-Jewish), and a Christian, who loves the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I love being here, and yet it is so very difficult a place to live. I miss family and friends, the culture of upstate New York--not the stressful jobs or the heavy responsibilities of that life, rather the lack of daily hassles. It is difficult to learn the language and takes time and money which I do not have, so my progress is slow. But it is a beautiful place, with beautiful people--all of them--Jew, Arab and the mixed multitude. Each day is a blessing which God has bestowed for me to embrace and bless, bringing His love into it a little more by just being here.
I hope these few pictures will tug on your heart enough to read God's Word, the Bible, so that you can get His heart for this place and these people. (You can never get an accurate picture from the media.) We need to seek to see and hear from God's perspective, gained from a solid foundation of time spent with Him, reading His Word and prayerfully seeking Him.
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