What’s With the Time Thing?

One of our old neighbors, Jerusalem

We have returned to Oklahoma safely and not too much the worse for wear. All of our luggage made it and in one piece (here’s a shout out to Lufthansa and a big boo! to British Airways). We finally made it bed around 10:30pm, Saturday OK time (6:30am, Sunday Jerusalem time). It was a surreal experience taking off as the sun rose over the Judean Hills and landing at sunset over the, uh, Southern Great Plains (?) of Oklahoma. Before we left, our friend Cameron had told us of a ridiculous flight he had where he had an Israeli sunrise take off and a sunset on the Oregon coast on the same day.

Time definitely “stood still” on the flight. No hands on my watch wanted to move. This was in direct proportion to  how badly I wanted the plane to land so I could not feel as though I’d been riding on an Israeli bus for 8 hours straight.

Another oddity was noting how everything in OKC looked just as it was when we left. For certain, I’m sure there have been some major changes that I’ve not noted. But, the housing additions were the same. The highways were the same essential mess they were before (but very nice in comparison to Israeli driving). It was as though time stood still here while we continued on.

The dissonance of re-entering our old culture has begun. My clock says it’s 6:40am Sunday, but part of my body thinks it’s 2:40pm. I’m very happy to be back and beginning to see family and friends again. But, I really miss my life and friends in Jerusalem. I’m used to seeing the sun rise over the Hills of Moab (modern Jordan), 30 miles distant. Now, I’m waiting to see the sun rise over trees about 50 yards distant. I do remember going through the same process two years ago in reverse. It’s raining as well. I haven’t seen rain in the summer in quite some time. Is the world upside down?

So, onward with adjusting to new places and circumstances. All I need to know is what time it is…

Life Liturgy

Accoutrements of the Liturgy of Coffee

A.Lenore posted on the coffee rituals here at the apartment in Jerusalem. It runs almost like clockwork:

1. - The presses and mugs are cleaned and readied.

2. - The coffee beans are carefully measured and ground into the proper French Press consistency.

3. - The aroma of the freshly ground coffee is imbibed in, whether consciously or not.

4. - The ground coffee is poured into the presses. The press lids are placed on the presses and then they are all placed on the counter, awaiting the formal ceremony in the morning.

Everyone then attends to their rooms. Aubrey and I have our own evening ritual where we relax and wind down the mind by watching some MASH episodes.

The coffee liturgy then begins in the morning. In the hour between 5 & 6 AM, A. Lenore and I arise and we begin the “sacred rite”:

1. - Water is measured and heated up.

2. - The water is poured into the presses. There is an almost supernatural experience as the two   substances become one, emitting sounds, smells, and colors.

- Four minutes elapse as the coffee steeps.

1. - The mugs are prepared with the appropriate (if desired) amounts of cream/milk. No sugar is allowed.

2. -After, four minutes elapses, the presses are pressed in a solemn act of praise and joy.

3. -The “holy liquid” is distributed to all participants. Again, it is a sensual act: the sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, the weight of the mug.

4. -After the consumption of the coffee, each person silently gives thanks unto the Provider for the joy of coffee.

Life needs to be orderly. We all have rituals (or liturgies) that we follow. Life is rhythmic. Life here in the Middle East is cyclical, following the seasons. The ancients (as well as many moderns here) view time as repeating circles, not a linear progression. This rhythm is important to the proper function and maintenance of our body and soul. We desperately need it.

As we’ve been packing bags, shipping boxes, and prepping to depart from Israel, our life liturgy has been disrupted. We still cling to certain liturgies (coffee and bedtime) to try to maintain some semblance of normalcy. But, other rhythms of going to school, shopping on certain days, cooking dinner at certain times, have all been displaced. As Aubrey put it, “I don’t feel like myself.” This is what it means to live in the shadows.

Life is meant to be lived liturgically. We sanctify certain things (i.e. we “set them apart from normal use”) like coffee and watching old sitcoms. They acquire a special meaning and purpose. We then create an orderly set of events to enable us to most fully experience those “holy” things.

The same is true of living life with God. It too, should be lived liturgically. We set apart times and items for the special purpose (with special meaning) of communing with Him. We then create an orderly set of events to enable us to most fully experience life with Him. This is true of both private and public worship.

The moral of this tale: Savor your times of life liturgy. Enjoy its fullness and rich tapestry of experiences. It is what makes life stable and rich.

The End of the Road

My Israel feet

I’ve been looking at my feet lately. Yeah, that’s weird. I know. They have a nice “Zorro” tan on them due to my sandals. There have been all sorts of changes to my feet. They are much darker (minus the Z on each). Last year, they were just slightly brown and slightly burned. The callouses on them are bigger.

They have walked a long road here. Proverbially, they’ve walked from Dan to Beer-sheva. Actually, they’ve ridden most of that distance and hiked smaller portions. If my feet could talk, they’d probably weave a good yarn.

My feet have walked paths where the Patriarchs, kings, and the Messiah have trod. They’ve also walked paths of much lesser fame, where common ordinary people wandered going about their daily lives. The best part is when I remind my feet that the Patriarchs, kings, and the Messiah also had mundane paths to tread. The Biblical life is our life: insanely normal and filled with stories of lots of feet that tread insanely normal paths and roads.

The end of this current Israel road is less than 3 days away. My feet are ready to try out new paths and roads. But, they plan to be back. Maybe sooner than they realize…

Wrapping up…

Swimming at the spring of Ein Gedi

Today, I (Vern) finished up my last academic requirement to graduate. I am still waiting on my thesis to be read for approval. So, essentially I am done.

Also today, the boxes began to fill up w/our personal library additions. I think when it is all said and done, approximately 350 lbs of books will migrate across the Pond, bound for the lovely climes of the U.S.

This has been an update. Five days and counting until departure…

Living in the Shadows

The Street, where we live...

Six days left sports fans, and the sun finally sets on our two years here in Israel. As the time draws to a close, it sorta feels like we’re living in the shadows. Typical, daily life has essentially ended. We are now packing, making some small purchases, streamlining our possessions, turning over the apartment to the next crew, and mailing tons of things (maybe literally?) home.

At the same time, it feels as though we’re in limbo. Nothing is real. Returning to the States still seems a bit mythical. Our little crew at 6/2 Gihon is still here. Still talking and thinking and planning. Everything is the same as everything is changing.

We’re living in the shadows. It’s weird.

New Album

Click here for new photos at our main EIKON Israel site.

Random Things

One of our “random” friends. Names are being withheld to protect innocent. And maybe the guilty.

Two days ago, we took our guest Robin (not pictured at left) to Bethlehem. One of our fellow classmates is living in the Bethlehem area for the summer and drove us around. It was quite possibly the most pleasant trip I’ve had to Bethlehem. We were in a private car (rather than by bus or cab). We ate fabulous Arab food. We bought pastries and cheap Cokes from local shops, thereby helping the local economy.
As we were leaving, a car in front of us was being interrogated by the Israeli security. Then, they asked the driver to back up from the checkpoint and then suddenly, a huge metal gate just closed shut. No announcement. No reason. Just random. That seems to be much of the method by which the Israelis do security: be random and unpredictable.
Fortunately, Western media is dead wrong and Bethlehem is NOT completely surrounded by the security/separation fence. There are multiple, open ways in/out of the Bethlehem area. It’s simply that the most direct routes to Jerusalem are guarded. So, we took the long way round and made it home without a hitch.

Yesterday, it rained in Jerusalem. It didn’t rain much, or for very long (maybe a minute or three) but it rained. IT NEVER RAINS IN ISRAEL IN JULY. Weird.

Last night, we took Robin to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There was a very Western lady, probably American, who showed up in a spaghetti strap top, and short-short-short-short shorts. She just couldn’t fathom why the priest who was in charge of decorum around the Tomb wouldn’t let her in. It just didn’t register that one shouldn’t show up to the place where Christ was buried and rose again in what is practically your underwear.

Finally, the suddenness of life: a friend from Edmond just lost his mother to cancer. It seems quite sudden to us, but we are quite isolated as well. Also, a community in Indiana is grieving and wrestling with shock as their pastor’s son was found dead. May the Lord preserve and sustain those in grief.

Distractions

Robin and Vern in the Jordan River.

Our good friend Robin came to visit us in the waning days of our sojourning here in Israel. She’s been here since Sunday the 5th and will leave this Friday. She has been from Dan to Beer-sheba (the Biblical borders of Israel) in a week. This week, we’ve been slowing down and showing her the sights, sounds, and tastes of Jerusalem.

Just today, Robin sat on the southern Temple steps where many scholars believe Jesus would have taught (see Mt. 23). She has also tread upon the Temple platform around the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Afterwards, she journeyed through the Kidron Valley, on the east side of the Temple Mount, to the Mount of Olives, where she jockeyed w/tourists to see the Garden of Gethsemane and also the golden, onion domed Russian Church of Mary Magdalene.

Robin’s visit has afforded us the opportunity to take a final look around the country. We’ve taken a few more pictures, thought a bit more about our time here, and are planning on returning again as so as is Divinely possible.

Robin’s visit has also distracted us from “The Countdown”. As I write this, we have 11 scant days left in Israel. It’s quite shocking to us how little time is left. There is still much to do: shipping things home, packing, transferring the apartment over to the next set of JUC students, blah, blah, blah. I guess that the distraction is nice as it keeps us from getting too panicky, too early. It also keeps us from getting too wistful about leaving.

So, Robin. Thanks for visiting.

The Awesome

A picture is worth a thousand words…

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Sunset, Sea of Galilee

Well sports fans, it’s come down to this: our Israel expedition is nearing the end. In 21 days, we will be hopping on a plane at 5:30am and heading back Stateside. It is surreal and hasn’t really sunk in just yet. We have plenty keeping us distracted.

- Tomorrow, we have a friend from Oklahoma (Robin) visiting us for roughly 10 days. We’ll be running her around the country, catching up, taking more photos, and getting one more look at the Land of the Bible.

- Today, we are showing two professors from the States around the Old City. One teaches at a Bible college; one at a seminary.

- I’m finishing up my seminar project. My thesis has been turned in for reading. So, that’s out of my hands.

- We were w/o water in our building for a touch over a day. Last night, we celebrated Shabbat w/some fellow students who live near Ramallah, one block from the Security Wall (or Partition Wall as your politics prefer). They go 3 consecutive days per week w/o water. Every week. They are on Ramallah’s water system and Ramallah rations. Conclusion: we are spoiled.

-We currently have another guest/former JUC student/former flatmate who’s studying Biblical Hebrew at the language program we’ve mentioned a lot (www.biblicalulpan.com). We’ve been catching up w/her and chattering away in Biblical Hebrew. Conclusion: we are nerds and love it.

So, after our friend Robin leaves, we have roughly 1.5 weeks to settle our stuff here, pack, and mentally prepare ourselves to head back.

In any event, the sun is setting our time here. Time to go to work…