The Church of the Holy Sepluchre
"One expects the central shrine of Christendom to stand out in majestic isolation, but
anonymous buildings cling to it like barnacles. One looks for luminous light, but it is dark and cramped. One hopes for peace, but the ear is assailed by a cacophony of warring chants. One desires holiness, only to encounter a jealous possessiveness: the six groups of occupants - Latin Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Syrians, Copts, Ethiopians - watch one another suspiciously for any infringement of rights. The frailty of humanity is nowhere more apparent than here; it epitomizes the human condition. The empty who come to be filled will leave desolate; those who permit the church to question them may begin to understand why hundreds of thousands thought it worthwhile to risk death or slavery in order to pray here." (The Holy Land, Jerome Murphy-O'Conner, OP, p45)
The Church of the Holy sepulcher is built over the place where, very likely, Christ was crucified and buried. Emperor Constantine was the first to build a church on the location to commemorate Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Since Constantine's building and dedication, the church
has been in a fluctuating state of disrepair. Today the church is better funded and so can be kept in good condition. The interior is cool and dark with many candles and lanterns of smoking incense. Beautiful chapels and domed, painted ceilings share the interior, each one belonging to a different church group.
The rock tomb of Christ is ornately built like a small church or chapel with hanging candles lighting the interior. You first enter the dim anteroom before ducking through a low stone opening into the room containing the stone slab on which Christ was believed to have been lain. The rock slab is all that remains of the tomb because in 1009, Fatimid caliph Hakim's wrecking crews attacked the rock tomb with picks and hammers until only debris covered what remained.
The stone walls on the staircases and lower chapels bear the marks of
those who fought to possess them. Crosses, etched by the swords that battled to free the city from the 'infidels', crowd in to decorate the walls. "This was the church to which the Crusaders came with tears of piety to sing their Te Deum after capturing the city on 15 July 1099."(p50) I'm sure there were may pious and sincere believers who fought to free the earthyly Jerusalem, but there were also many others who used God's name and the sign of His greatest act of 
love to gain power for themselves and to weild that power cruelly and unjustly. When I stop and consider my motives, I can see many actions that were done in the name or appearance of righteousness while the hidden motives were purely self-serving. How amazing that God would entrust His name and His message of love to such weak creatures! "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (II Cor 4:7) To Him belongs all the glory. Amen!
"One expects the central shrine of Christendom to stand out in majestic isolation, but
anonymous buildings cling to it like barnacles. One looks for luminous light, but it is dark and cramped. One hopes for peace, but the ear is assailed by a cacophony of warring chants. One desires holiness, only to encounter a jealous possessiveness: the six groups of occupants - Latin Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Syrians, Copts, Ethiopians - watch one another suspiciously for any infringement of rights. The frailty of humanity is nowhere more apparent than here; it epitomizes the human condition. The empty who come to be filled will leave desolate; those who permit the church to question them may begin to understand why hundreds of thousands thought it worthwhile to risk death or slavery in order to pray here." (The Holy Land, Jerome Murphy-O'Conner, OP, p45)
The Church of the Holy sepulcher is built over the place where, very likely, Christ was crucified and buried. Emperor Constantine was the first to build a church on the location to commemorate Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Since Constantine's building and dedication, the church
has been in a fluctuating state of disrepair. Today the church is better funded and so can be kept in good condition. The interior is cool and dark with many candles and lanterns of smoking incense. Beautiful chapels and domed, painted ceilings share the interior, each one belonging to a different church group.
The rock tomb of Christ is ornately built like a small church or chapel with hanging candles lighting the interior. You first enter the dim anteroom before ducking through a low stone opening into the room containing the stone slab on which Christ was believed to have been lain. The rock slab is all that remains of the tomb because in 1009, Fatimid caliph Hakim's wrecking crews attacked the rock tomb with picks and hammers until only debris covered what remained.The stone walls on the staircases and lower chapels bear the marks of
those who fought to possess them. Crosses, etched by the swords that battled to free the city from the 'infidels', crowd in to decorate the walls. "This was the church to which the Crusaders came with tears of piety to sing their Te Deum after capturing the city on 15 July 1099."(p50) I'm sure there were may pious and sincere believers who fought to free the earthyly Jerusalem, but there were also many others who used God's name and the sign of His greatest act of 
love to gain power for themselves and to weild that power cruelly and unjustly. When I stop and consider my motives, I can see many actions that were done in the name or appearance of righteousness while the hidden motives were purely self-serving. How amazing that God would entrust His name and His message of love to such weak creatures! "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (II Cor 4:7) To Him belongs all the glory. Amen!
posted by In The Potter's Land | 5:02 AM
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