So as I said, yesterday (Wednesday) was fairly uneventful. The highlight of my day was after rehearsal when Richard (bassoonist) took me to a very authentic hole-in-the-wall where we had an amazing lunch of hummus, falafel, and various other local foods. It was amazing, the best meal I’ve had during my time here.
I didn’t go out during the afternoon, opting to stay at the hotel to rest, study, and catch up on a few things.
Today was the biggest day yet, in a number of ways. We had our last rehearsal this morning, which was also recorded by the broadcasting folks. The broadcast is live, but apparently they come to the dress rehearsal just to set everything for the performance.
After rehearsal I returned to the hotel, had a phone interview with the Jerusalem Post, and then met up with Father Dimitri to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Fr. Dimitri holds a senior position in the Greek Patriarchate and has been in Jerusalem for twenty years.
Previously I had started to wonder if I was jaded. I’ve spent a few days here out and about visiting famous sites, but never really felt much of a deeper connection beyond what I would feel seeing similar things in Europe. Not that these things weren’t beautiful, but they didn’t make me feel anything emotional.
Today was different. I met Fr. Dimitri at the Jaffa Gate and we walked directly to the square outside the church. There he started giving me all of the background of how the church came into existence (I hadn’t known at one point in history this spot was actually a garbage heap outside the main walls of Jerusalem).
Upon entering the church the first thing you see is the slab (well, a marble cover over the slab) where’s Christ’s body was laid before being entombed. There’s an immediate ineffable feeling, it was all I could do to hold back the tears. Fr. Dimitri was amazing about explaining everything and knows all the details scriptural and historic, truly the whole picture.
We then went upstairs to Golgotha, visited some of the other chapels, and then finally went to what is for Christians the holiest site on earth: the Holy Sepulchre. It’s quite an honor to visit a holy site with an official of the church. All of the staff knew Fr. Dimitri (and many pilgrims came up to him to receive a blessing), so we had instant access to everything, no waiting in lines. He would just move to the front and whoever was supervising the line would immediately stop everyone and let us enter. I guess I did feel a little bit guilty about getting to cut in front of people who had been waiting for a long time (the line at the sepulchre was particularly long), but it was a blessing since I didn’t have much time.
The sepulchure was amazing. You enter a vestibule and then duck down into a cave like room that is the actual tomb. Fr. Dimitri entered with me and then left me alone, having the guy hold everyone so I could spend a couple of minutes in there by myself (a real honor). It’s difficult to explain the feeling, I just knelt there not knowing what to think or say, just filled with gratefulness. Even typing this now I become emotional recalling the experience.
One of the other things that I had never realized is how close all of these things are to each other; the temporary place where they held Him as a prisoner before the crucifixion, Golgotha, the tomb, etc.
It was an amazing experience that was made even more meaningful by having Fr. Dimitri as my guide. I wish I had some pictures to post, but even though I took my camera I didn’t take any. Somehow I felt as though taking pictures would cheapen the experience; it’s one to remember in the heart, and the mind’s eye, not digitally.
Fr. Dimitri and I parted with him giving a blessing for my concert, and a promise to take me more places next time I come and have more time. He really wants to take me to more outlying areas such as Jericho.
There were really only two more things I wished I could have seen during my visit, the Dome of the Rock (the inside) and the Dead Sea scrolls exhibit at the Israel Museum. Unfortunately my schedule didn’t really allow me to get to either, especially the Dome of the Rock since it closes to non-Muslims at 2 pm. Next time!
