At the Western Wall [Israel #1]
invisibleforeignerI am finally writing about my trip to Israel that I took in January. It has taken a while to process it, particularly what it means for me as a Christian and as someone interested in history, religion, and politics. I will be writing regularly over the next few weeks about some of the theological and political issues I encountered while I was there. The following is just a short introduction to my initial feelings at the Western Wall.
One of the most iconic sites in the entire world, the Western Wall was even more spectacular than I had imagined. The walls of the destroyed Temple, with the Dome of the Rock sitting on top, overlooked mostly Orthodox men in their ear locks, hats, and dark coats. The men divided the space with veiled women holding prayer books as crowds of tourists milled around, snapping pictures of the people worshipping.
I was not necessarily prepared for how uncomfortable the experience would be. I have been to important religious sites before this, and the only time I remember feeling a similar way was at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. There is something about tourists observing fervent religious practice that I find a little distasteful. People are worshipping God, so who are we to stand there and watch them? I was particularly uncomfortable when we went into the religious sections themselves. The women’s section was narrow and cramped; clearly, they need to give the women more space. Women rocked back and forth, touching the wall, and then walked backwards out of the crowd when they were done. At the same time, tourists invaded their already cramped space, taking pictures. After walking into the women’s section, I carefully edged out backwards after only a minute, because I did not want to gawk at the people who were praying. I know that Jerusalem is a popular tourism destination, for good reason, but this is also a place of worship. I did not want to get in the way.
