Good Friday.
Its a different Easter weekend from any other in living memory. People stayed at home, and breakaways to the beach or somewhere special.
Throughout the day I kept thinking about my trip to Israel 3 years ago at this time of year. My visit coincided with Easter weekend, because I was going to attend the wedding of close friends of mine. I think the trip in itself is worth a post or a series of posts at least, but until then here are my thoughts sparked by the Good Friday celebrations around the world.
Did you know that the old city of Jerusalem is 0.9 square kilometer? Walking through the cobbled and stepped streets made me realise how much I have to adjust my mental picture of city on the hill. I wonder how the people crowded around and how many of the shops and stalls looked similar to how they do today. Did they also struggle with the things we do? Maybe not the frustration of slow wifi. But did they also worry about how work is going and whether it will continue like that. Did kids also play outside with the neighbours’ kids and make up new games?
Walking in the ancient streets filled me with a sense of wonder that i cannot put into words. I was struck deeply by the fact that people were going about their lives in this place for much longer than I can begin to imagine. Kings rose to power and fell again. They had built walls against the enemy from outside, and sometimes the dangers lay within.
In a city so small, maybe for a few meters my footsteps coincided with the footsteps of Jesus, so many years ago?
In this time of uncertainty and silence, let us remember to tread lightly wherever we go.
Be kind. Stay safe.
mcharlottesmith 