In the Holy Land, walking along the paths of the Lord Jesus
Dateline: Israel, From Jordan and Egypt. It is cold winter here, with 8 to 12 degrees Celsius, and it was drizzling there in the Ben Gurion Airport when we landed some hours ago. It has been a 45-minute drive here in the opposite direction from Tel Aviv. Some friends from the Philippine embassy gave us the courtesy of being met in the airport as if we were still diplomats complete with all the protocols and the courtesies that are usually available only to the members of the embassy staff and officers. But we have friends in all places, and the twenty-two other couples travelling with us in Christmas pilgrimage were quite impressed.
We are staying in the fabulous Abraham Hotel complete with wifi and all the amenities. We didn't realize until just a few minutes ago that our great forefather Abraham who lived some 2000 years before Christ was the world's first backpacker. And this fantastic hotel was named in his honor. The people are friendly most especially the Filipino staff who greet us with Mabuhay and Shalom. And we are feeling just very much at home. We will soon go to the Old City which is enclosed by a 12-meter wall built in 1538 by Suleiman, the greatest of all the Ottoman Turkish sultans. Suleiman, the tour guide told us, never visited Jerusalem but he ordered that the wall be built as a safety enclosure.
There are eight gates to the Old City Wall. We are entering the Jaffa Gate, the main entrance into the old city from West Jerusalem and approach from a promenade that runs from the end of the Jaffa Road where the magnificent Mamilla Mall is located. Well, the ladies will be tempted to shop but it is still too early and we, the old men and seniors, will not relish carrying all those filled shopping bags. And we will be here up to and beyond the New Year. The Damascus Gate in the northern wall of the old city is the main entrance to the old city from the Arabs settlement. We were asked to be very careful in going to the peripheries of those areas. And so, we were cautious in avoiding any untoward incident.
There is the Dung Gate closest to the Western Wall, the Zion Gate in the southern wall of the old city, the Lion's Gate in the east side and the Golden Gate or the Gate of Mercy which is the most magnificent of all the eight gates. According to the traditions of the Jews, this will be the main gate where the Messiah will enter the city. Until now, the Jews are still waiting for the Messiah. They do not agree with the Christians that Jesus is the Messiah. But anywhere, this is their city, this is their country. And we are not going to debate with any Israeli on religion, politics or any other controversial topics. We are here to celebrate Christmas where it all started 2015 years ago.
We are going to take a peep at the Armenian Quarter just before we descend from the Old City into the David Street. In AD 300, Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity in a land surrounded by Jewish and Arab nations. Armenia predated the years that Constantine converted the Roman Empire as the center of the Holy Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church, as founded by Christ here in Israel. We shall follow the Armenian Patriarchate Road and shall see the holy Saint James Cathedral, which is the most important site in the Armenian Quarter. It was built in the eleventh century when our country was still a wilderness connected with land bridges with the Indochina peninsula.
We are travelling here in order to fulfill a solemn vow to visit the Holy Land before we die. If the Muslims have to visit Mecca as one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith, I figure that all Christians must strive to see the birthplace and the country of Jesus before our final journey to the bosom of the Lord. There is no traffic here that is as horrendous as at EDSA or at the Mandaue-Lapu-Lapu Bridge. There are no mudslinging among traditional politicians. But there are risks in coming here. The Israelis have a running problem with the Arabs and the Palestinians. We are careful not to be caught in the crossfire. There are thousands and thousands of Filipinos here. But on our first day, we start to miss home. No, we won't be home for Christmas. And sorry, "mga kinugos ug linudhan," we shall send our gifts through the old reliable Santa Claus. Advanced Blessed Christmas.
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