Surrounded by Peace

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

    so the Lord surrounds his people,

    from this time forth and forevermore.”

Psalm 125:1-2

A couple days ago, my Physical Settings of the Bible teacher took us on a 10 hour hike around Jerusalem. We covered Old Testament sites in the morning and New Testament sites in the afternoon, taking a break for lunch. I have never been more exhausted after a day of school before! One of my favorite moments at an overlook spot above the Kidron Valley; from here, you can see where David’s city was during the time that he was King of Jerusalem. My professor read us a couple Psalms, and talked about the language that was used in them. In Psalm 125, the author (King David, most likely?) talks about the Lord surrounding His people the way that the mountains surround Jerusalem. Here’s what that looked like:

I’ve been thinking a lot about why I love it here so much. Of course it’s super cool to be in a place where I have so many opportunities to study the Bible hands-on, but I’m also thousands of miles away from everything familiar and all of my closest people. So why do I feel so much peace? Why do I relate so much to the Psalmist in Psalm 125? Because “surrounded” is the perfect word to describe how I’m experiencing God here. I can totally feel the Lord’s presence surrounding me the same way the mountains surround Jerusalem. He’s teaching me that my heart longs for this more than anything else, but it’s not necessarily specific to a location. So whether I’m spending time with him under a pomegranate tree in Israel, or in the sunroom at my parent’s house in Brighton, Michigan, my soul is satisfied in Him and Him alone.

I’m also learning that peace is not necessarily synonymous with comfort. While I feel tons of peace in knowing that God is with me here, there are also plenty of things that I’m adjusting to. The seven hour time difference is kind of tough – it’s totally worth staying up late to talk to friends and family, but not always ideal. And learning a new language is hard! Especially when you’re working with an entirely new alphabet. And the reading load at the graduate level is significantly more than undergrad! It’s a good thing I love what I’m learning about.

Another big adjustment is the culture. When I’m on campus it’s not that noticeable, but if I walk five minutes down the road through Zion Gate, things are definitely different. There are things I could wear in the states walking downtown in 85 degree weather that would be unacceptable here… or at the very least, attract unwanted attention. There are places in the Old City that a woman really shouldn’t go by herself, and I’m learning about the culturally appropriate way to communicate (or not communicate) with men here. For someone who has a habit of smiling at strangers and saying “hi!” on the sidewalk, this is a bit strange.

I walked through the Old City for a while this morning by myself. It was a step out of my comfort zone for sure, since there is still a decent amount I’m unfamiliar with. But everyone here says that the best way to get comfortable with it is to just go! I’m looking forward to being confident about where I’m going later on in the semester. And I saw some really great things this afternoon!

It’s incredible all of the things I can do and see in the hour and a half that I have between lunch and class on Mondays and Wednesdays! Should I be using this time to study? Yeah, probably. Later in the semester when the workload is more significant, I’m sure you’ll find me in the library – which is also one of the only places on campus with air conditioning. That’s one really good way to motivate students to do their work!

Back to some thoughts on peace… I’m so grateful for the strong sense that I have of it internally. But as many of you may know, there are plenty of people who are experiencing the exact opposite. The political, ethnic, and religious tension in Jerusalem isn’t prominent absolutely everywhere you go, but if you pay attention it will hit you like a ton of bricks.

I have a lot of friends here who are taking classes on the political situation in the Middle East, and the things they’re discussing in class are fascinating. It’s heavy for sure, but definitely worth learning about. Being here makes me want to pay more attention world news, and the political situation – especially since there’s an election in Israel coming up here in less than a week. There is a lot of oppression happening, and hurt on both sides. Deep wounds and strong opinions characterize the social climate of this place that we call “the Holy Land.” Please pray for the people and government of Israel/Palestine in the next couple days!

The tension is real and present, but so is the Lord. I’m actually seeing a lot of beauty in it! On Sunday at the end of our “New Testament” walk in the Old City, we sat for a while on the southern steps that used to lead up to the temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. In recent years, the Al Aqsa Mosque was built on the site, which changes the access that non-Muslim people have to this area.

I had a really cool moment here, even though I had been to this spot before. We learned on my two week trip last year that this was likely the place where 3,000 people were baptized on Pentecost (Acts 2), and the Church was born. This time was different, though. Instead of being in awe of the steps I was sitting on and the ritual cleansing baths (Mikvahs) that had been uncovered, I was frustrated. I looked up at the walls of the Mosque, and wished that there was a temple where they stood. Like many people when they first come to Jerusalem, I found myself thinking “this isn’t how it should be.”

But then my professor walked us over to a spot at the top of the steps where some original stone was exposed. He explained that it had been dated all the way back to the second temple period, and then showed us on the wall where there is obvious evidence of a large, triple-gate temple entrance. This main entrance to the temple, with original stone dated back to the time of Jesus, is one of the few spots in the city that we can be just about ninety-nine percent sure that Jesus once walked on.

As I stood there with tears stinging in my eyes, looking over the city in sheer awe and wonder, I heard the call to prayer fill the air around me. It was funny, the frustration I had a couple minutes before was completely gone. I was so grateful for this patch of exposed stone, but more grateful for the ability to experience the peace and power of His presence wherever I go. We no longer have to go to the temple to be close to God, because His Spirit doesn’t dwell there anymore. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil was torn in the Holy of Holies, and God’s spirit rested on man. Now we are temple! If we know Him and give our hearts to him, then we have THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD ALMIGHTY dwelling inside of us.

So in that moment of wonder, gratitude, and peace, I prayed that the people of Jerusalem would be experience God’s peace the way that I have been recently. It seems like a pretty hefty prayer, but our God is capable of bringing true and restorative peace to extremely broken and complicated situations. Sometime I’ll talk more about the Hebrew word for peace, which is Shalom. Many of you might already know that it’s a much deeper and more full word than our definition, but I won’t get into that now. I need to get some sleep!

Prayer Requests:

• the people and government of Israel/Palestine during this election!!
• a desire for me to continue stepping out of my comfort zone.
• a desire to learn more about what’s going on around me politically here in Israel, and pay attention to the news.
• motivation to do my best in my academics!!
• that my eyes and ears would be open to what God has to teach me and show me inside and outside of the classroom.

Shalom!!

❤ Hannah Marie