Changes in Appearance, but not the Message.

Posted on February 5, 2022February 5, 2022 by Chris

As I’ve faced challenges over the last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time seeking the answer for the challenges in prayer.

As I look through pictures of my time in Israel, I remember when I took my pictures of the pool of Bethesda.

Jesus healed a man here according to John 5:15. A man who learned Jesus could heal him rather than wait for a man to help him get into the pool when it was stirred by an angel.

It still portrays a message to hope. It reminds me God is ready to show me the answer through the work of His Son.

I try to imagine what this looked like in the time of Jesus. I’m sure it was much different than today. Standing at the railing which prevents anyone from climbing down to the pool, I was reminded once more that what this looks like is not as important as the saving message of Jesus.

The pool of Bethesda doesn’t look much like a pool to me. It’s hard to imagine a multitude of people here. I’m rethinking the different definitions of “multitude.”

The water looks brown in this picture and very small. Scripture tells us there were five porches filled with people around the pool. Scientists tell us ground level is higher today than it was in Jesus’ time. But I still think it is a long way down there.

Salad All Day

Posted on January 15, 2022January 15, 2022 by Chris

When I was in Israel, I love the buffet of foods at every meal. One of my favorites was the cucumber-tomato-parsley salad served at all the meals, including breakfast.

I was not used to the idea of salad at breakfast, but I discovered I like the idea.

The recipe is simple:

Salad:

4 English cucumbers, diced
4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ purple onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Toss all salad ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over salad. Sprinkle salt and pepper over salad to taste. (Salad compliments of allrecipes.com.)

I’ve tried several different recipes, but this is the one I like best.

My Broken Heart

Posted on January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 by Chris

In my post on November 12th, I showed you the Yad Vashem pin I purchased and I promised to write more about the holocaust this month. January 27th is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day has several names, all meaning the same thing. Yad Vashem is the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel.

The Children’s Memorial is a small building on the Yad Vashem Campus.

Cut into the outside wall is a sculpture of an adult surrounded by several children. This man was a Christian teacher of several Jewish children. When the soldiers came to take the children he refused to let them go. He was told if he didn’t let them go, he would die. He went with the children and died with them in a concentration camp.

As I entered the building there were signs saying to keep hold of the railing, keep walking, and do not stop.

A few steps later I was in a dark room. There are no pictures in the room as shown in this picture,

There was a single candle in the middle of the room and, I think, hundreds of small mirrors. The mirrors reflected the one candle and they reflect the lights of other mirrors.

The reflected lights symbolize all the future generations who never lived due to the death of one child.

As I walked along the path through the memorial (about 60 feet), I hear the name, age, and hometown of one child killed in the Holocaust. There is an estimated 1.5 million children who died during WWII.

One of the people in my group did some calculations. It would take over seven years before the names would start being repeated.

Many, many of the people coming out of the memorial, including myself, are wiping tears from their eyes. I have tears now as I remember that memorial.

This is not one of my pictures. It is from the Yad Vashem museum. I chose this picture because it better shows the deep meanings of the Children’s memorial. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the memorial and most of my own from outside the memorial did not come out well because I had trouble focusing my camera.

Checking off the boxes … or Not.

Posted on December 11, 2021December 11, 2021 by Chris

One Saturday evening, while in Israel, our group was invited to attend the last meal of Shabbat at the home of a friend named Jeremy. He is an orthodox Jew who teaches the Torah.

We walked to his home in the Old City of Jerusalem. The entrance is in what looks like a wall on a street too small for a car. There are walls with doors on both sides.

I didn’t take my camera because orthodox Jews believe no work can be done on the Sabbath. Also, the Jewish individual cannot ask someone else to work. Taking a picture is considered work. So is turning on or off any switches is considered work.

With all of us in the small apartment, it was getting too warm.

Jeremy started talking about the new air conditioner he installed and how he put the switch close to where one of our leaders, Marty, was standing. It took a little time, but Marty finally figured out Jeremy wanted the air conditioner turned on. Since Marty was not an orthodox Jew and was not specifically asked, he turned it on.

Throughout the excellent meal, Jeremy taught us about the various meanings of different actions.

At the end of the meal, sweet herbs were passed around. Shabbat, a special time with God was coming to an end. The spices were to help us deal with the grief of ending our time with only God and going back to our duties in this world.

That day, and many days since, I think about how easy it can be to be busy, rushing through my time of worship and prayer. I can then check off the box marked prayer and worship to go on to all the other things on my To-Do list.

There is nothing as sweet and wonderful as my time with God. And I am sad when that To-Do list pulls me away.

Since I couldn’t take pictures that night, I later purchased this bag of sweet herbs. There is no specific list of herbs used to ward off the sadness of leaving time with God. Lavender is one ingredient included in most mixes. I keep this small bag of herbs on my desk to remind me to slow down and focus on my prayer and worship time.

Menorah or Hanukkiah

Posted on December 4, 2021December 4, 2021 by Chris

Since we are in the time of the celebration of Hanukkah (ˈhä-nə-kə) (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah), I think it is fun to look at a distinction between a menorah used in the temple and a menorah used during Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days starting on 25 Kislev on the Jewish calendar. This year that translates to November 28 – December 6.

The Menorah (mə-ˈnȯr-ə) was created under the leadership of Moses according to instructions in Exodus 25:31-40. It was carried as part of the furniture in the Tabernacle as the Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 years. It was placed in the Temple when it was built by Solomon. It has been rebuilt by the Temple Institute which is creating the furniture to be placed in the Temple when it is rebuilt.

Please note the seven lamps. I cannot find confirmation for this, but I believe the seven lamps remind us of the days when God created the world and then rested.

When walking in the Old City of Jerusalem it is an awesome sight. You can get an idea of the size by looking at the people nearby in the picture. My response when I saw it was “Wow!

Hanukkah is the celebration of the time the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee and his four brothers, took back the temple from the Greeks/Syrians. The temple was cleansed. A consecrated oil was used in the menorah, but the Maccabees could only find enough consecrated oil to light the menorah for one day. A miracle occurred because the one-day worth of oil lasted for eight days during which more oil could be consecrated.

Hanukkah is the one Jewish festival not in the Bible because the events occurred during the time between the Old and New Testaments.

The Hanukkiah (hanukki-ah) is a modern term for the variation of menorah. It holds eight candles plus a helper candle which lights the rest. The eight candles represent the eight days the oil lasted until new oil could be consecrated. On the first day of Hanukkah, the helper candle is used to light just one candle. An additional candle is lit each night.