I am just back from a trip to the Holy Land. David and I took our fathers for a week tour of Israel and Jordan; an absolutely incredible adventure. I can’t properly describe (and it’s not just because I’m a novice writer) what it felt like to see and be in the places (Capernaum, Nazareth, Canaa, Jerusalem among others) that Jesus walked in. It made me have a much greater appreciation for the humanity of Jesus. One thing I now know absolutely is that he must have been in shape with some great quads…the hillside surrounding Galilee and Jerusalem is remarkably steep…think San Francisco steep.

I recommend a trip like this to anyone, and while the biggest impact made on me was to see the places that figured prominently in the Bible, I can say that there is so much more to see from the beautiful beaches of Caesarea to the dynamic city of Haifa. Add in some great secular history in Petra and Beth Shean and surprisingly good food, and the region could stand on it’s own as a great travel destination even if God hadn’t chosen that area to inspire us as the setting for his Word. Happily, though, for us last week, he did.

I could go on and on about the trip, and would be happy to do so off-line, but it’s time to get to the point that I’m trying to make here, and to share what I learned in Jerusalem that has inspired me for what our future might be in Durham.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is the supposed site of Christ’s death and burial. It’s been a pilgrimage since the 300s AD. It’s been jointly administered by many orthodox churches, the Armenians, the Greeks, the Syrians, the Ethiopians, the Copts and the Catholics among others. It’s a strange sight to see the various groups lead church services at the same time as they vie for the attention of various parishioners.

And here’s the challenge: the different sects don’t often play well in the sandbox together. In fact, within the last month the tensions between the groups have resulted in fistfights that have been reported on CNN. Things are so bad and have been for a long time, that a group of Muslim families actually have to manage the church and unlock it every day.

Imagine that! What kind of message does that send to seekers and non-believers about Christianity? What would Jesus say!?!?

Fortunately, we have a great opportunity to do things much better here and there are signs that area pastors are increasingly willing to work together on joint projects. There are many different congregations in Durham, but we are one body in Christ. Let us all work together as one Church to serve our community as we serve him. Let us be a beacon and a light to all around us, together as one. This opportunity is clearly missed in modern day Jerusalem, let it not be beyond our grasp in Durham.

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