Good Morning,

The reflections are from Tuesday and Wednesday, June 29 and 30. They reflect our time at the Western Wall of the Old City and our journey to arrive at this holy site.

With Tuesday came the realization that classes would soon begin and therefore another trip to the bookstore was in order. We found Jerome Murphy-Oconnor's book on "The Holy Land," our 4th author on this topic, and we were off to the Old City.

Sandra Schneiders in her book, "The Revelatory Text," suggest that when interpreting scripture, we will best see the scrripture through three worlds - "The World Behind the Text (The history and our imagination), The World of the Text (the witness and language) and the World Before the Text (the meaning and appropriation in our lives today)." With that in mind and sitting before the Holy Site of the Western Wall of the temple (parts of which are from the temple destroyed in 70AD), I found myself consumed with the history, the archeological discovery, the witness - both biblical and the witness of today's faithful and my personal emotion being felt as I am consumed by these images and actions of the faithful. I was at this place on both days - with Diane on Tuesday and then back to the wall with Diand and Mary and Joseph (my sister and brother-in-law who arrived Wednesday morning). I will be back again to place a prayer in the Wall - for those two days, I simply adsorbed the space and the people - the history and the faithful - the historical journey and today's journey for all (or should I say "the many").

In the picture at the top, notice the gold dome in the upper left-center of the picture. That is the "Dome of the Rock," the third most sacred place for Muslims to visit (after Meca and Medina). How close for me at this moment were the three faiths - my Christian faith, the witness of the Jewish faithful at the Wall, and the image of the Dome of the Rock. Why Lord have you brought me to this place? Who will I be introduced to at Tantur? What other images will stir my emotion? I sat and reflected on my life's journey, when at times I have expeienced fear when in the presence of Jews and Muslims and for no reason. These fears have long passed, but the reminder of that part of my journey leads me to realize that there is still much more work to be completed.

As the four of us headed home Wednesday evening I reflected that there will be 27 people at Tantur during this four week experience. Their journeys - or parts of them - will be unfolded as we taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Peace and blessings to all.