Saturday, May 01, 2010

Island

The following is a slightly fictionalized and embellished story of one evening (especially since I can't quite remember the details) in fall 2008.

She walked into the college cafeteria, looking for familiar faces, until she remembered that most of her usual dinner companions were away for the weekend. During times like these, she often would find another familiar face or two with whom to share the meal.

She proceeded to fill her plate with the food that was available (which was never quite good on a Saturday night), and filled her cup with water. After picking up some silverware, she found a small table near the soda fountain. She began to eat her dinner in her "island" of solitude.

Then she noticed one of her friends was nearby, in the other room. He appeared to be on the phone, so she quietly ate her meal, watching the other people in the room and thinking about many things. At one point, she went back to the soda fountain, where the hot water and coffee and teas were, and picked out a packet of black tea. Finding a mug, and a packet of sugar, she poured hot water into the mug and steeped the tea bag for a few minutes.

Her friend finished his phone call, and noticed her sitting at the table, so he joined her for conversation. For quite some time, they discussed family situations, their shared faith in God, and other life experiences. Topics like evolution, theology, and current classes were explored, as well as recent movies they'd seen and songs they'd heard.

She enjoyed this conversation, and sipped her tea while they talked. (While she was in Ukraine, she had often shared tea with other pastors, families, and friends, as they built relationships.)

The time came for him to leave the cafeteria (to go where, she wasn't quite sure), and he bid her farewell with, "You have a good evening." She replied with a simple, "Thank you. You too," as he walked away.

As he left, she glanced down at the quote on the tag of her tea bag and pondered its relevance to her dinner conversation. "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main... -John Donne."

She smiled to herself, picked up her dishes, and got up from the table.

Israel sightseeing

A list encompassing most of the sites I saw while in Israel, with help from Bibleplaces.com to identify names from my photos.

Sunday March 28
Palm Sunday procession down the Mount of Olives
Lions/St. Stephen's Gate
Old City
Damascus Gate

Monday March 29
Old City
Western Wall
First-century street
Trumpeting Stone
Southern Steps (Jerusalem Archaeological Park)--psalms of ascent, Pentecost
Double and triple gates
Mikvehs (ceremonial washing pools)
Jewish Quarter
Medeba map
Cardo (main street)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (place of crucifixion and Christ's tomb)
Via Dolorosa
Church of the Condemnation
Church of the Flagellation
Ecce Homo Convent and Lithostrothos

Tuesday March 30
Caesarea
aqueduct
Mt Carmel
Nazareth
Basilica of Annunciation
Mount of Precipice "The Leaping Mountain"
Nazareth Church of the Nazarene
Tabgha
Capernaum (synagogue, Peter's house, olive press)
Mt. of Beatitudes
Yardenit (Jordan River)

Wednesday March 31
Mt. of Olives
Garden of Gethsemane
Church of All Nations
Pool of Siloam
Valley of Hinnom (Ge Hinnom--Gehenna)
Valley of Elah (David and Goliath)
Azekah hilltop
Roman Road near Moza
Qumran
Dead Sea
wilderness

Thursday April 1
Old City with Rajaee :)
Damascus Gate
English class with Karen :)

Friday April 2
Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity
Manger Square
Palestine-Israel border wall
Via Dolorosa
Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene :)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Saturday April 3
Sea Level
Masada
Dead Sea
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Ethiopian Orthodox Holy Fire service)

Sunday April 4
Garden Tomb
Jerusalem Prayer Center
Old City
Jaffa Gate