Palm Sunday ...

Of anyone that has a greater fascination with Israel/The Promised Land and all that's going on there than me, I know not. Well, I guess Mr. Dindi would be one such person seeing as he got me interested in the affair in the first place. And then there are all those "I-must-go-to-Israel-and-see-where-the-savior-walked" fanatics - a group which I'm gradually warming up to and probably going to join if I should be just a trifle candid. So what holds me back (apart from the consistent absence of the American Dollar - or the Kenyan shilling if you will - in my pocket, the obvious lack of time - which seems to be an excuse for everything I don't do)? Probably the press about all the action in the Gaza strip and the stifling conflict. Makes it a bit less desirable to me - quite likely out of my ignorance of the situation on the ground. Now, if I could just find what I was trying to say... yes.. Now, in all my church going years (which trust me, aren't that many), I've never encountered an explanation for the destruction of Jerusalem. Is it because it was that obvious? Pastor Mark of First Friends Church finally pointed out the key to me (and anyone else present that was paying attention). Jesus mourns for Jerusalem at "The Triumphal Entry" (Luke 19:28-48), and specifically exclaims in verse 44 that

They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.

Wikipedia's "Siege of Jerusalem" also mentions this view as one of the beliefs held by many Christians. What would have happened if the 'Jerusalemites' had actually recognized the moment of their visitation? Basically a whole city of devout disciples of Jesus. That would have been totally radical! Picture Pilate and all the Roman leaders in awe of a city totally devoted to one man. Quite the scenario that would have been. Not to suggest that the way things happened didn't leave much of a story to be told. Think of the very same crowds shouting "Hossanna in the highest" yelling "Crucify him" a few days later - that's quite something in itself. What's mind blowing to me is that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD would mark the beginning of a rather depressing (in my opinion) millennium for the Jews. A whole millennium. And then comes the 1940's and Israel is born! and today most of us don't even bat an eyelid at the thought of how long the drought has been for Israel and how momentous these events unfolding before us really are. Israel/Jerusalem, the closest thing to a custodian of all our destinies (a fact probably more evident to the dwellers of the Middle East than the rest of us)!

Oh, BTW, someone pointed out to me that Easter will never occur this early in our lives again - interesting - I think...