-Gary Mintchell
Reflecting on being in Jerusalem last month and thinking of the Easter story gives an entirely new perspective. The people close to Jesus had a week of remarkable high highs and remarkably low lows all in the space of eight days or so. And the geographical area covered is so small. I took a picture of the “Palm Sunday” road from the Temple Mount. It is a road that comes down a mountain (hill?) to a valley and immediately rises toward Jerusalem and the Temple. The religious leaders would have easily seen the procession and commotion across the valley. From the peaceful setting of the Garden of Gethsemenee to the prison cell where Jesus was likely kept for the balance of the night (probably in a harness that kept him suspended from a hole in the floor down into a cave-like room) was not far in physical distance but light-years in terms of experience. Then a day of going back and forth between judges to the walk through crowded market streets to the cross. But hope comes from the empty tomb. Earlier in the trip we visited Tabga where the risen Jesus came to Peter and asked him three times “Do you love me?” Then “feed my sheep.”
I suppose that’s our challenge after Easter, too. Feed Jesus’ sheep.
Tags: Christianity, mission, Spirituality
Faith Venture 
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