Lance Evanson
The Morning Prayer call was next to unusual today at dawn; not because of its nature but because of its foreign firm resonance. When professor Kearl told us that 4:00am would be the probable time our eyelids would peel back I wasn’t sure for what strange reason, though today I found out why. Jet lag accompanied with a firm reverberating melody caught me up at the early hour as promised.
An early breakfast did not come soon enough seeing as I woke up a few hours earlier than I had planned and it seemed so far that things at BYU Jerusalem were definitely not what I had bargained for. That was really more my stomach talking than my real feelings of apprehension of the beginning of a distinctively unique semester.
The daily schedule: Breakfast 6:30 to 7:10 followed by orientation scheduled for… as long as it takes, Jerusalem orientation walk- when the first orientation is over, Lunch, and to finish the day’s planned schedule- Orientation continuation!
From the lower of the two exiting entrances groups were organized and sent out from the center to begin our first tour of the Old City. We broke up into parties of eight led by one of the senior couples and we started down Mount Scopus and up Mount Mariah towards the gates of Jerusalem. As my eyes wandered from each section of the visible surroundings to the next I realized abruptly, Jerusalem 2007 is not the Jerusalem in my mind (Jerusalem 33 C.E.). Quickly a short list of differences and experiences; dirty streets, sidewalks, and empty garbage cans; friendly people who knew exactly who we were, The Mormons! The smell of burning trash and exhaust, race cars to quick to notice the pedestrians in the cross walks, city walls rising high from hewn stone, shops, cafes, merchants, an old city modernized. Places that I had only read about and seen in movies were passed left and right, the Garden Tomb to the left and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher of to the right. We went to the top of the hospice and quartered Jerusalem giving some sense to how these three religious denominations could all share one holy city.
Coming back into the Jerusalem center Jacob 5 came to life as I for the first time saw an Olive Tree and recognized it for what it was. At X years old the tree top began to perish and began to shoot up young and tender branches. Today the tree stands with its branches removed so its stump only remains; the young and tender branches have become firm standing trees round about the root. That brought new insight to the allegory of the Olive tree. I can see now how difficult it would be to lose such a magnificent and old tree but how marvelous it is to bring forth new life.
Oh Jerusalem how much I have longed to be here with you, a dream from my past is as real today as the memories of my childhood. Oh Zion I so very much love being here with you.
