In
Part 01 of our series we learned that Christians have been visiting the
holy city of Jerusalem since the beginning of the church. Today, incoming
Christian tourist numbers into Israel, with the goal of visiting Jerusalem, is
60% or more.
In
Part 02, we learned about how ‘tourism’ affects numbers of Christian
visitors.
In
Part 03, we saw how since the 1967 War the ‘tourist factor’ and
tradition of pilgrimage have caused the number of visitors to Jerusalem to
increased dramatically.
In
Part 04, we sought to define if the Christian visitor is a ‘tourist’ and/or
‘pilgrim.’
In Part 05,
we will continued to explore the identity of Christian visitors as tourist
and/or pilgrim.
Here
in Part 06 we will explore the nature of today’s Christian visits to
Jerusalem.
Onward Christian
Pilgrim
First, it is
this author’s conviction, after 6 years of study and a 95,000 thesis, that a Christian who visits
a holy city like Jerusalem is a ‘pilgrim,’ whether they consciously and proactively
seek to be, or not. Why? Pilgrimage is simply a ‘long journey to a sacred
destination.’ The Bible teaches that all believers are on a long journey to the
city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). So our
rationale is simple: if the earthly life of a person of faith is one long
journey to the sacred destination, then visiting the holy city would be part of
the larger pilgrimage.
This
generous and inclusive label stands strong, even if the Christian visitor has
all the hallmarks of a normal tourist. So they can float on the Dead Sea, hike
at En Gedi, visit the popular non-non-biblical sites like Masada, plant a tree,
go shopping, and other ‘secular’ activities and still be a pilgrim. Like the
Christian faith itself, being a pilgrim is not so much a matter of ‘what you do’
but more like ‘what you believe.’ The faith in the heart, rather than the
activity of the hand, is what makes you a pilgrim.
One of the
evidences of ‘faith in the heart’ is the Christian pilgrims willingness to
travel to the Middle East, even though it has pockets of strife and instability
(for example, Syria, Libya and Yemen). Those who are mere tourists do not
travel to a ‘war zone’ to have a holiday but the person of faith will. They
believe God has led them to make the journey and will protect them along the
way.
Do the
labels ‘tourist’ and ‘pilgrim’ matter? Some can argue ‘No.’ This author says ‘Yes.’
Here is the reason: when you call someone a pilgrim, you recognise them as a
person of faith. Second, a journey of faith will lead to the things of God.
Furthermore, a reward awaits the person who ‘believes’ and ‘seeks.’ Hebrews
11:6 says it so well: But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him (emphasis mine).
So if a
person understands that their trip is not just for tourism, but is truly
journey of faith, they will be more mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
prepared. A great reward awaits them.
This can
apply even to the person who is blissfully unaware of these things. This author’s
mother, raised in church while young but grew up to be a successful,
unchurched, career woman, came for a visit to Jerusalem. Most of her time was
spent visiting people and shopping. During the entire period she had only one
day of touring Biblical sites and she spent much of it in the local diamond
showroom! Yet, years later she commented how ‘close she felt to God’ while in
Jerusalem and eventually became a believer.
The Nature
of Christian Visits
Since the
June ‘Six Day War of June 1967,’ there have been changes in the nature and
number of Christian visitors. Prior to this date, since the 1948 war, Jerusalem
was a divided city. Israel held the western sector and Jordan the eastern,
including the Old City and the Mount of Olives. This means Jordan was the
custodian of most of the Biblical sites. The partition of the city did affect
tourist numbers. A person could only cross from one side to another via the
Mandelbaum Gate, but there were restrictions. Local Jerusalemites, East and
West, Jew or Muslim, could not cross to the other side of the city, full stop.
Christian citizens of Israel were allowed a 3 day visit to the Old City once a
year. Foreign pilgrims were allowed passage through the Mandelbaum Gate.
Needless to say, the division of the city did not help foster increasing
tourism. While local Christians from Middle East countries would have visited
Jordanian-held Jerusalem, numbers of visitors from Europe and the rest of the
world were limited.
To
understand the nature of Christian visits today, let’s compare and
contrast them with what happened in the past. Early Christian pilgrimage to
Jerusalem was a truly voluntary action motivated by love for the person of
Christ and/or desire to see the site of biblical events. No religious merit was
accorded for the visit. Byzantine and medieval practices like shrine
visitation, liturgy, indulgences, and veneration of relics were minimal or
non-existent. Visiting the city, holy people who lived in the city, and pious
study, were some of the intentions of these early visitors (e.g. Melito of
Sardis, Origen, the Pilgrim of Bordeaux, Egeria). The pilgrim could have
sojourned in Jerusalem for weeks, months, even years.
Modern
Christian Jerusalem visits are increasing in tandem with mass tourism. Both
have influenced each other. Tourism has given the pilgrim fast efficient
travel, comfortable lodging, and a sightseeing element
in respect of non-Christian or non-holy sites. Pilgrimage has made holy sites
part of the program in many, perhaps most, tour itineraries.
TO BE
CONTINUED
NOTE:
If
you are interested in our June 2019 Jerusalem Encounter Tour or November
2019 Bible Adventure Tour, including Book of Revelation/7 Churches Extension,
log onto: https://www.tan.org.au/upcoming-tours/
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