Palm Sunday
The first of many processions, and one of the largest, with Palestinian Christians and non-Palestinian Christians gathering to walk the route from the Mount of Olives through Lion’s Gate of the Old City, following the route Jesus traveled on the donkey. The procession starts with a collection of youth groups in militaristic uniforms marching through the streets with flags. They’re then followed by local nuns and priests and visiting pilgrims heavy-laden with palm fronds, olive branches and cameras.
Monday
Lenten reflection
Tuesday
Lenten reflection. Augusta Victoria kindergarten egg hunt.
Wednesday
Lenten reflection. Post office closed.
Maundy Thursday
As Mark said during the evening procession, “Maundy Thursday is the one day in Jerusalem when the Protestants rule.” Not just rule, but stop traffic, which we did as we processed to the Garden of Gethsemane with the Arabic, English, German and Danish-speaking congregations of the Lutheran church. As we processed, people stuck with their language group in order to sing, each group led by someone carrying a sign reading “Arabic,” “English,” etc. Carrying a large sign reading “Danish” while marching through the Muslim Quarter can’t have been a job people were fighting over. I’m guessing their congregation drew straws.
The Garden of Gethsemane is beautiful and serene, and I plan on going back, with the required headscarf next time, to sit in the Russian Orthodox church there and hear the nuns chant in the shadowy sanctuary.
Good Friday
Another service, one which Will promised was multi-lingual but turned out to be entirely in German. Then on to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to observe the mayhem. They had police working in the church for the day to do some crowd control, holding back struggling and weeping pilgrims trying desperately to be the fourteenth person crammed into Jesus’ tomb. I saw a young priest sprint over to a small shrine to blow out a flaming mass of candles that were wilting toward the ground and threatening to singe the hair or habits of passers-by.
Fire extinguisher
The saints and journalists above
Every hour or so a different group would clog the narrow streets along the Via Dolorosa, following the 12 Stations of the Cross on their way to Holy Sepulcher. Getting through the Old City on Good Friday requires much patience and no concern for one’s personal space.
Saturday
Pick up trash around site of Easter sunrise service. Attend pre-Easter picnic. Win third place in three-legged race. Gorge on well-deserved prize of chocolate eggs.
Easter Sunday
Wake at 4:45 a.m. for the sunrise service at the new amphitheater on the LWF grounds. My first day of work here in Jerusalem I helped move rocks around in planning for the rock ring amphitheater which debuted for this service. I took the quintessential sunrise service picture:
Then was Easter brunch and then I headed down to the Old City where I caught my second service of the day, this one at the lovely Garden Tomb and preached by my godmother’s pastor from her church in London. Jerusalem tends to be a crossroads of people who know people and a prime place to play Six Degrees of Separation.
Easter Monday
Half day at the post office.
