Have you ever brushed shoulders with or sat next to someone famous and not know it, only to find out later and wonder if you two were living in the same world?
That was me today, having met the the Immovable Ladder of Jerusalem. You know, the one on the ledge of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre? It is the grandfather of ladders, having sat on that ledge since, oh I don't know, 1757? I moved that ladder in my mind. Good thing it was only in my mind, cos taking it down might start a war. If you are laughing , I don’t blame you. I blame myself for not getting educated earlier to avoid whatever state my face was in when I learned of my ignorance. Try watching one of those 5-minute introductions of the ladder on youtube, and then join me in the dilemma of deciding whether to laugh or to cry.
The ladder is often said to be an example of the Status Quo. For centuries, the six different Christian communities who lay claim to the estate could not agree on how to do things around there, leading the Ottoman sultan to issue a decree of that led to the principal of Status Quo - no one moves a thing unless everyone agrees. That often means that no one (and no-thing) moves. If anything, that ladder is an example of a paralyzed church.
Thus far in this journey, I have kept much of my private thoughts silent so that my ears may be more open than my mouth and so that I don't start a sensitive conversation over an unsuitable platform. But today, my filter is impaired by my grief. Really? This is what Christians fight over? (Insert broken whatever-you-wish emoji here).
Dear Lord, how great is Your mercy to be so patient with us.
PS: We arrived at the Old City of Jerusalem just as the market is beginning to stir. Here are some photos of the city waking up.
