Today was perhaps the hardest of the trip. After visiting the birthplace of John the Baptist and then the Israeli Museum, Israel's version of the Smithsonian, we went to Yad Vashem. This is a museum in Jerusalem built to educate people on the circumstances and stories that led to the mass murder of six million human beings who happened to be Jewish. The museum literally and figuratively took you down into the horror of what the Jews experienced at the hands of the Third Reich doctrine during WWII. It was a living hell. We saw the rail cars, photos, interviews with survivors, and narratives putting the whole story together. In the end, the museum literally shifted uphill signifying that even in the worst moments, hope could not be dashed. The fact that there is even a nation called Israel tells the story of hope. I sat in the final room with a group of Jewish children visiting the museum and wept openly over the horror and hope. It took me a long walk and the brisk outdoors to end the tears.
This trip has remembered Christ's death and resurrection by visiting the sites. The surprising end was to remember the attempt to kill all Jews and, in a way, their subsequent resurrection as a people.
The afternoon was spent at the second location thought to be the site of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. We ended with the Lord's Supper at that site. After that it was another visit to the Old City, back to the hotel to finish packing, dinner and goodbyes to our guide. In a few minutes we leave for Tel Aviv.
Off to load luggage.
Shalom
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