Easter Sunday at the Tomb

Praise to the Lord, Creator of the Universe. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Savior of mankind, Ruler over all things. You are all-powerful, all-knowing, with infinite mercy, love, and compassion. Slow to anger, quick to forgive, just, great, and awesome in majesty. Praise to the Lord, the Savior of the world, who came to Earth as a man to die so that we might live, and then rose again to confirm that death has been defeated once and for all. Today, I was blessed to have been able to go to the Garden Tomb to celebrate Easter. We lined up an hour before the service started to ensure that we got good seats. There were people from all over the world at this service, and every continent except for Antarctica was represented. We sang hymns praising God, listened to a pastor preach the good news, and rejoiced with our fellow believers. Many of them had traveled thousands of miles in order to be here today, and I felt so blessed to be around them. The Pastor told a story about how a man asked Joseph of Arimathea why he had given such an exquisitely hand-carved and beautiful tomb to a stranger? Joseph smiled and said "It's alright, he only needs it for the weekend." The Garden echoed with so many voices being raised to heaven in joy and celebration. People were dancing, cheering, and crying. Christ has won. We have won. Death no longer holds any power over us. Because of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, we can live eternally with Him if we acknowledge Him as Lord and ask for forgiveness. It was a very emotional, very triumphant service. After it was over, the tomb was opened up by some, and they confirmed that it was empty. He is not Here, for He is Risen! Since the Garden is run by the British, one of them couldn't resist making reference to a famous Christian British author when he proclaimed "Alsan, the Lion of Judah, roars again!" After the service was over, I went into the Old City and made my way to the Holy Sepulcher, to see what the Catholics and Orthodox were doing. It was standing room only inside, and everyone was clustered around the Catholic tomb of Jesus. All of the priests and bigwigs of the church were on hand, decked out in full regalia for the day. The organ was going full blast, monks on the balconies above us were chanting, and suddenly the various dignitaries and priests were on the move, lead by two guys dressed like they had just stepped out of the renaissance, carry huge silver-looking staves, which they pounded on the floor to keep time. First came the priests, or priests in training, each holding a candle and singing. Next came more important looking priests (maybe bishops, I can't say for certain) wearing flashier robes than the priests who came before them. One of them carried a very tall staff, on top of which was the crucifix inlaid with silver and shining brightly in the candlelight. Next came the most important-looking priests, wearing the cool hats which reminded me of what the Pope sometimes wears. These guys were decked out in gold and red, while the others before them were in white. Everyone in the audience (including me) was holding a candle and watching the whole procession with rapt attention. Slowly, the procession went around the corner and disappeared, with the audience following with their candles. I felt like I had experienced enough of the Catholic/Orthodox ceremony, so I left the Sepulcher and wandered the streets of the Christian Quarter for a while. It was such a beautiful day, with the sun out and very few clouds. Later in the afternoon, it started getting more humid, so I jumped on a train and came home. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I will never forget having the opportunity to spend Good Friday and Easter in Jerusalem.