Day 18 God of the Living Stones

(This is a delayed posting about events on June 18)

Climbing up the steep slope of the Mount of Olives made me feel quite at home...I grew up climbing a slope just at steep, just not as long. Jarrod was keen on visiting the Church of the Ascension (I am not sure which one), while I was keen on finding a quiet view overlooking the Old City where I can pray. So we both scaled up the slope going from one morning shadow to another.

The Jewish graveyard was exactly what I wanted. No tourist. No pilgrims. Good view of the Golden Gate. A shady olive tree beckons me, and it welcomed me with a cool stone bench and music from the singing birds. I laid out my Bible, journal, and the camera that I was using to keep time now that my phone is out of commission.

I craved this solitude. Jerusalem was laying heavy on my heart, and I needed God's comfort about it.

Mark 12:27 jumped out at me from the pages, "He is not God of the dead, but of the living." I drink it in. But that was just the start of God's comfort. There was more to be had, and not just for me.

I haven't missed my phone since it stopped charging 10 days ago. But I will soon: Jarrod hasn't come for me and he has been away for an hour. Is it really 11.30am? I have been so engrossed with imagining the Gospel of Mark from where I perched that I barely noticed the passing of time. Since I can't text or call to find out where he was, I went looking. I saw tourist, vendors, and camels. Just no Jarrod. He probably thought I have executed Plan B in the event that we lost each other.

I walked down the slope to the Church of the All Nations. A friendly vendor informs me that it was closed for lunch at noon. The scorching sun made me miss my cool bench. I should have stayed and have my sandwich up there. But I wanted to see the Garden of Gethsemane. Ah well, I am living in an olive orchard, so I probably am not missing much. I want shade. Ascend to the Old City. Heat is radiating off the path under my feet. Which way to the gate? Oh where is my map.

"Do you need help?" I turned around to find out who issued the offer. He looked like a tourist. I do not recognize his accent.

"Mmm...I am headed for the Dung Gate, would this be the right direction?" I asked. I didn't really need his help, but it is customary to return friendliness with at least an acknowledgement of one's existence.

"Yes, I am headed that way, let me walk with you," he replied as he went up ahead of me to lead the way.

Stranger Danger.

Oh don't be dramatic.

"Thanks!"

He asks for suggestion on what to do next. I told him about the bazaar at St Anne's Church that afternoon, good place to survey the Christian church community from all around the Old City. See you there, maybe. Good, I have gotten rid of the stranger.

I am lost. Wait, I am not, but the doors to the church are closed for lunch. Oh there's the Stranger looking lost. You are not lost. It's just closed. We can wait till it opens at 2pm. I am looking for a perch to eat my sandwich. You have a snack too? Great. I can get rid of you easily enough when I join my group at the bazaar.

Meet Midel from Egypt, or Mike to the English speakers. The name Midel means “New Life.”

He works as a hospital chaplain in the the US. He is on a solo sabbatical trip, and his head is bursting with questions from what he seen and heard these past days. "What do you think of Jerusalem thus far? It is not what I imagined it to be." His face says in earnest that his question was a matter of maintaining mental health, and not to exchange pleasantries. Big Question No. 1. And so we talked. And talked. About this place, about medical ethics, about my country, about his.

The church should be open now. We met with my group. I borrowed a phone to stop Jarrod from worrying. All's good. Still talking to Mike Stranger about Big Question No. 2 - the ethics of organ transplant.

Too deep in to get rid of him now.

Oh I lost my scarf! It was a gift from my colleagues. Mike insist he will come with me to look for it. Still talking.

The scarf is lost for good. Mike wants to bless me and the convent sisters at the bazaar, and hence insists on getting me a replacement scarf. I was comforted.

"I am headed to the Garden Tomb next, you want to come?" I invited the stranger because I grew to appreciate his company. We saw the tomb, we sat to rest. He asked, "If the Lord would grant your one request like he did to Solomon, what would yours be?" Big Question No. 3

I told him that I would like to be able to hear and recognize God's voice as easily as knowing my name. He said he never thought of that before, and wanted my answer for himself because knowing God's voice means access to all the other things that we could want. That is when he said,

"You know, I didn't know where I was going this morning. I needed direction when I saw you, but instead of asking for direction, something prompted me to offer you direction instead. Today turned out to be such an encouragement from the Lord!"

It occurred to me then that in the God of the Living sent me a living stone.

We prayed. That day, in the gardens of the Garden Tomb, Stranger Mike became Brother Midel.