Sierra Pacific Synod’s Holy Land Solidarity Pilgrimage - Day 1
Today was the first day of our pilgrimage through the land of Jesus. We began in the Galilee, where Jesus lived and did most of his ministry. Our first stop took us to the top of Mount Tabor, where tradition says the Transfiguration took place. It was a chilly morning up on the mountain, with the wind howling behind the Franciscan church, with chapels dedicated to Moses, Elijah and Jesus. As we took shelter from the wind at an outdoor chapel, Bishop Jeff offered a morning devotion and prayer, reading from a “Declaration to the World” from Kairos Palestine, urging Christians throughout the world to “come and see, go and tell,” and so our journey of solidarity and learning began.
From there, we went to Nazareth to the Orthodox Church of Saint Gabriel and the Franciscan church of the Annunciation. The most beautiful parts of this enormous church complex are the mosaic Madonnas donated by Catholics throughout the world, depicting the Virgin Mary and child from their own cultural perspective. On the walk through the winding limestone streets to lunch, we made a brief stop at the Synagogue Church, that remembers the story of Jesus standing up in his home synagogue, reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me…” We were set to read the text from Luke chapter 4, when the caretaker of the small chapel stood up and shared a passionate and faithful recounting of the story for us. A reminder of how the stories of our faith are like the air the people breathe in this sacred place.
A lot had changed in the three years since I had led my last tour. The strangest part is seeing how empty all of the holy sites are, since visitors to the holy land have dropped off significantly since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Many of the sites that would have been packed with people, clamoring to glimpse and touch the holy relics and the sites of miracles, were completely empty. While this was good for us, allowing ample time to really take in each site, it is devastating to the faith communities and the local shopkeepers, who rely on tourism for a livelihood.
The highlight of the day was the renewal of vows for Pastor Jose Luis and his wife, Lucy. We were the congregation as Bishop Jeff presided over the ritual affirmation of their marriage of 33 years. Our bus driver went on a secret mission to find rice, so we could celebrate properly as they exited the church into the street, where we showered them as a sign of our collective joy.
Tomorrow will be another full day of learning from the sites in Galilee, and from our encounters with the people who called this land home, the Living Stones.
- The Rev. Amy Kienzle
