holy spectacle
The Church of the Holy Sepelchure in Jerusalem was "the place to be" this Good Friday. I've always thought of this place as having a lot of unnecessary frills and fanfare, and with the Holy Days upon us, last night was no exception. The Holy spectacle to behold encompassed the remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ, with many different sects of Christianity and Catholicism represented in their own unique way. The entire facility was wall-to-wall people, celebrating their Holy Lord and the sacrifice he paid for all upon the earth.
Inside the church, there were numerous processional groups, one Coptic from Egypt, others various branches of Catholicism, singing their songs and wearing traditional clothing. The spectacle was complete with TV screens, cameras and special lighting, amidst the candles and lanterns already used to light the scene. Outside the church the courtyard was jammed full, with a rectangular walkway blocked off for the holy processional. This was certainly a sight to behold; a mock-funeral processional for Jesus, complete with coffin, flowers, incense, men wearing traditional robes and carrying banners and large ornate crosses. As formal as the procession was, it was still quite moving and meaningful for all in attendance.
Today, the streets of the Old City were jam-packed and most of the walkways were completely blocked off, compliments of the Israeli Police and IOF. It was not possible to go inside the Church of the Holy Sepelchure unless you had spent the night inside (which I had considered as an option), and people were not permitted to pass anywhere nearby. Fortunately, I met a local man who accompanied me around through all the back streets and walkways, and I enjoyed our adventure together. At one point however, we were just trying to get back to the place I was staying, when we got stuck for about 1/2 hour in a very tight crowd. By the end I almost fainted, as I am claustrophobic, and just as we emerged, we were met with a crowd on fire. The long-awaited moment of the "light coming out" of the Church, in which everyone carried lit bunches of Holy candles, to represent the Light going out into all the world. I thought my hair was going to catch on fire, but I was truly safe, with my private tour guide and surrounded by people celebrating this Holy event together.
Inside the church, there were numerous processional groups, one Coptic from Egypt, others various branches of Catholicism, singing their songs and wearing traditional clothing. The spectacle was complete with TV screens, cameras and special lighting, amidst the candles and lanterns already used to light the scene. Outside the church the courtyard was jammed full, with a rectangular walkway blocked off for the holy processional. This was certainly a sight to behold; a mock-funeral processional for Jesus, complete with coffin, flowers, incense, men wearing traditional robes and carrying banners and large ornate crosses. As formal as the procession was, it was still quite moving and meaningful for all in attendance.
Today, the streets of the Old City were jam-packed and most of the walkways were completely blocked off, compliments of the Israeli Police and IOF. It was not possible to go inside the Church of the Holy Sepelchure unless you had spent the night inside (which I had considered as an option), and people were not permitted to pass anywhere nearby. Fortunately, I met a local man who accompanied me around through all the back streets and walkways, and I enjoyed our adventure together. At one point however, we were just trying to get back to the place I was staying, when we got stuck for about 1/2 hour in a very tight crowd. By the end I almost fainted, as I am claustrophobic, and just as we emerged, we were met with a crowd on fire. The long-awaited moment of the "light coming out" of the Church, in which everyone carried lit bunches of Holy candles, to represent the Light going out into all the world. I thought my hair was going to catch on fire, but I was truly safe, with my private tour guide and surrounded by people celebrating this Holy event together.
posted by :: Lisa :: at 5:28 AM
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